AIBU to ask if you'd travel to Egypt?

[TokenGinger]

Following the devastating events in Tunisia last week, what would your thoughts be on travelling to Egypt? I was actually in Tunisia at the resort where it happened five days prior to the attack, so it feels a little too close to home!

A few people have said I'm being silly to change my plans to go to Egypt in December based on this, however, my dad has pleaded for me to stay away from Muslim countries for the time being. The people who have said I'm being silly say that, they're clearly targeting tourist hotspots - it could happen just as easily in Tenerife as it could in a Muslim country. But from what I know, isn't there something to do with the borders being in Libya open to certain countries that allow it to be easier?

No way would I go - I wouldn't go to Tunisa or Turkey either.

I'm thinking thinking twice about going to Spain!

No. I wouldn't though to be honest beach holidays aren't my cup of tea and I wouldn't dream of visiting Egypt's key sites during the summer. I do wonder however, if a huge crash in Egypt's tourist economy, and now Tunisia's will fuel extremism due the resulting poverty.

There are very conflicting views as to whether poverty and extremism are linked but it does still worry me that we may inadvertently make the problem worse by taking our buying power elsewhere.

London is just a matter of time and the right opportunity imo. [sadly]

I went to sharm in May and were booked to go again end of August.
We even did the whole trip to Cairo to see the pyramids with our young dc. (People said we were mad but we had spoken to others who'd done it with children and the security was fantastic, didn't feel uncomfortable at all)

I have said to dh that we won't be going on the beach but it won't stop us going. We're going back to the same resort, we have friends on Facebook and the reps that are still there keeping us updated.

That said the resort is not directly on the beach and the reception (only entrance) is gate guarded so does put my mind at rest.

Yes there is lots of security throughout sharm but it didn't make me feel uncomfortable at all. The people and the county is amazing.

We also went to Tunisia last year and although we thoroughly enjoyed our holiday there, we didn't venture much from the resort, we only did excursions with thomson . It didn't feel as safe as Egypt, I remember only seeing one policeman throughout our two weeks there

It never ceases to piss me off to see people don't give a shiny shit about political situations/treatment of women/workers/security if there is a whiff of cheap sun about.

People need to be MUCH more informed and responsible about where they go.

Some of us give plenty of shiny shit about Egyptian people actually, and that is one of the main reasons why I will continue to go.

I wouldn't go to Egypt because of the appalling women's rights there.

sexual harrassment is rife.
why would anyone consider it is beyond me.

so what, it's cheap. No thanks

I wouldn't and would avoid turkey, tunisia, Northern Africa areas.

I have been to tunisia once and really didn't enjoy it aside from the awful recent events.

Hmmm yeah, bet you do give a shit. Yeah right. If the climate was shit, you'd not bother, don't kid yourself.

I lived in Egypt for over 3 years, it is a truly godforsaken place.

Sexual harassment runs at about 98% of foreign women. Local women, even those who are covered are abused, touched, humiliated routinely. Children are tolerated only.

Staying In a resort isn't staying in egypt, not even close. Tourism perpetuates the status quo.

But it's cheap innit, and sunny.

I am travelling to Egypt in August. No way will I let terrorism win.

I've noticed people don't seem to consider what is going on in the world when they choose where they travel to. It's like they only ever see the rest of the world through the carefully prescribes lense of their television and newspaper, and they assume bad things don't happen to them. Normalcy bias.

The world is full of beautiful places to go and visit, but if the media are to be believed, China and Russia are far more scary and dangerous than Florida.

I'd suggest reading, research, and making your own mind up base on an educated assessment of risks. Personally I think the pyramids are beautiful, but I won't be taking my kids to see them until after the war.

I wouldn't go. Me and dh went a few years ago and on our coach, there were armed guards. It was scary.

But following the events in Tunisia, I'd say tourists are at risk anywhere. And we are at risk at home anyway.

Twenty years + ago, I visited Egypt doing all the touristy things. It was fine. Five years ago we went to Sharm for a very different beach holiday. I will never visit again.

If I were you, I'd not go.

No I wouldnt go, there are plenty of safer places to go.

Define "safer", ribbit

I would not go. I understand about supporting the tourist industry and ordinary people and the economy in these countries but the risk is too great and what is relaxing about being escorted to you hotel and being under armed guard. For the same reason I will not go to a number of Caribbean countries. I grew up in Northern Ireland in the 70's and 80's and have been in the middle of plenty of terriorist incidents and have seen enough innocent blood spilt to not want to take the risk in an area I am not familiar with the politics. I live in London and tube into work so am not free of such a possibility but I am always on the alert and look out for anything unusual and don't think you should have to feel like that on holiday.

The idea of supporting tourism and the local economy is very over estimated. The overwhelming majority of your money always goes to the travel companies. Local bars, restaurants and and shops pay extortionately for the privelidge of serving tourists. If you want to support local economies in a country, book a flight to an areas of the country the big travel companies haven't decided they want you to visit, take a wad of cash, book a room in a hotel when you get there, spend some time getting to know the people who live there.

Let's face it, staying in the Hilton, visiting Trafalgar Square and riding the London Eye tells you absolutely FA about the British people or our country, and supports no-one except a few corporations.

No. Not even if you paid me. Id go no where at the present time where islam is the main religion or there is a history of problems and that sadly includes paris. (Ignores the fact that along with everyone else i grown up in the uk whilst the ira was around)

I have a friend who has booked somewhere swanky in Egypt and they're not going now, it's a lot of money down the drain but she said she wouldn't be able to look forward to it.

Egypt is on the brink of civil war. You may be safer going to Damascus.

No, I wouldn't visit Egypt and have decided not to for many years (especially now I have children). I'm not easily put off and lived in Israel during the 2nd Intefada and have visited many controversial places. Have known too many people who experienced or knew folk who experienced terrorist incidents there. Also, the Sinai isn't a peaceful oasis, but has a lot of trouble - just see the recent killings of 50 soldiers. I am however going to Turkey and would visit some other Muslim countries. Egypt however, is offof the itinerary.

ISIS attacked border posts in Sinai this week and killed some 50 soldiers. There is no way I would travel to Egypt. There was an attack in Tunisia prior to the attack in Sousse where gunmen tried to attack a police station and could not so they attacked a museum, if I recall correctly. It is not unlikely that there will be further attacks in Egypt, and I would simply not risk it. I say this having travelled extensively around the Middle East (Syria but not recently, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Dubai, and Turkey).

Ummm-plenty of us actually LIVE in the Middle East as expats! I feel safer here than I ever did getting the tube in London. That said we recently looked at holiday destinations in the region and all we are left with is Oman and Bahrain!! Such a shame

Where in Egypt are you planning on going? If Cairo, then I'd say avoid if you're a bit nervous - there's been a bit of unrest there. But if one of the Red Sea resorts then I'd say go for it. You're just as likely to get terror attacked in the UK/France/any Western country that's seen as an 'enemy' of terrorists, as you are at a holiday destination in the Middle East.

I live in the Middle East and the only countries I'd really rule out for safety reasons are Syria and mainland Yemen.

Joules Oman sounds amazing, I can't wait to visit.

Agree with hissy about the sexual harassment in Egypt. My friend and I in Cairo and dressed modestly etc but almost every man shouted vile sexist abuse at us. The most horrible country ever unsurpassed for blatant misogyny.

Where in Egypt are you planning on going? If Cairo, then I'd say avoid if you're a bit nervous - there's been a bit of unrest there. But if one of the Red Sea resorts then I'd say go for it. You're just as likely to get terror attacked in the UK/France/any Western country that's seen as an 'enemy' of terrorists, as you are at a holiday destination in the Middle East.

I'm sure there are plenty of people who made that exact same decision about Tunisia. It's a beach resort. How dangerous could it be?

And, no. It's far harder to walk into a shopping centre in England with a Kalashnikov and a handful of grenades, than it is to walk across a beach in Tunisia. That is why we pay so many billions of pounds funding the intelligence services and stop asking questions when our armed Police shoot the wrong guy. They keep us safer than we otherwise would be should we choose not to have them. It's so easy to forget then when you're lying in the sun on foreign soil, in a country where we continue to foster decent among the local partisan groups, hoping to destabilise the region for our own political interests.