Travel agencies in four major markets for tourists have stopped booking flights to Egypt, an Egyptian tourism official said Tuesday.
Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour said he has received official reports describing international reactions to the events in Tahrir, said Sami Mahmoud, the head of the international tourism sector at the Tourism Ministry.
Mahmoud added that several travel agencies in Russia, Japan, Italy and Britain have canceled their reservations in Egypt.
He added that he expects a sharp drop in the flow of tourists to Cairo. Some countries have warned their citizens against traveling to Cairo, Ismailia and Suez, he said, including the US and Britain.
Mahmoud added that reports expressed fears over footage depicting violent and bloody scenes from the protests. Media coverage has had a negative impact on people's decisions to travel to Egypt, he said.
Travel agencies fear more violence will erupt during the parliamentary elections slated for 28 November, he added.
Mahmoud called for finding a political solution to the current crisis, saying security solutions will fail as they always do.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
