More airlines relocate crew to Zanzibar due to fear of terrorists
By Philip Mwakio
Sunday, May 18th 2014
Kenya: After the evacuation of mainly British tourists from hotels on the Kenyan coast, airlines are now relocating crew to Zanzibar due to fear of terrorist, The Standard on Sunday has established from aviation sources. Airline crew, who are normally on crew exchange list, were taken to Zanzibar after the evacuation of the British tourists on Thursday and Friday and will be there till October. By close of business yesterday, airport sources confirmed that close to 500 tourists whose holiday stay had been cut short after the UK started evacuating their nationals had checked out of Coast hotels and made the impromptu journey back home. Holidaymakers with Thomson and First Choice were told their dream long-haul trips were being cut short and that they should pack and prepare to travel to the airport in convoys of coaches under armed guard. Both companies said they were cancelling flights to Mombasa until at least October. Britain warned on Wednesday that tourists should not travel to Mombasa city or to popular beaches to its north because of the threat of terrorism, and those already there should leave immediately.
A tour operator with clients who had been booked in a hotel outside the designated danger zone as per the UK advisory and who did not wish to be identified said his clients protested at the move to force them to return back home. “They were staying at a hotel outside of the Foreign Office’s new alert zone, on Diani beach, yet they, too were ordered to leave,” he said. United Nations World Tourism Organisation Africa Regional Vice President and Utalii College Principal, Dr Kenneth Ombongi said that the challenges arising from acts of terrorism require concerted efforts to fight it and not behaving in a manner that accelerates it by causing fear and panic. “Issuance of such travel advisories to destination Kenya only plays to the whims of bad elements in society whose aim is to spread fear and panic among otherwise peace-loving people who have chosen to holiday in our beautiful destination,’’ Dr Ombongi said. Safari and wildlife areas are not affected by the new advisories, but coastal tourism is a mainstay and many tour operators said they feared a collapse in bookings following the warnings. Kenya Wildlife Service Director incharge of community empowerment and Devolution, Benjamin Kavu said separately that all the designated parks and game reserves are secure for tourists and visitors alike to visit and sample. Former Garsen MP and Kenya Ports Authority chairman, Danson Mungatana termed issuance of travel advisories by Britain as an ecocomic warfare being because of Kenya’s decision to do business with the East.
See Also: Economy could be in limbo as tourists flee
Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/article/2000121463/more-airlines-relocate-crew-to-zanzibar-for-fear-of-terrorists
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