The Foriegn and Commonwealth Office (FCDO) no longer advises against all but essential travel to the southern part of South Sinai or Faiyum governorate in Egypt.
The update, issued on the FCDO website yesterday, is positive news for travellers wishing to visit the wider South Sinai region which is easily accessed via direct flights to Sharm el-Sheikh airport.
Prior to the update, the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh – popular for its large all-inclusive hotels on the Red Sea – was the only region on the Sinai peninsula that the Foreign Office said it was safe to travel to.
Now, smaller resorts in the region, including the bohemian dive resort of Dahab are likely to see UK visitor number rise.
The change also means that Saint Catherine’s Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai, and the mountain itself are deemed safe for travel by the UK Government.
Faiyum, a region rarely visited by foreign tourists to the south west of Cairo, is also no longer under a travel advisory.
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The Sinai Peninsula has suffered terror attacks in the past due to an ongoing Islamic insurgency in the region which is now believed to have been contained in the north.
In 2015, Russian Metrojet flight 9268 suffered a bomb attack during takeoff from Sharm el-Sheikh airport, resulting in the deaths of all 224 passengers and crew onboard.
Fully vaccinated travellers to Egypt can now enter without needing to test or quarantine. Children under the age of 12 can visit the country under the same rules as fully vaccinated arrivals.
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