Post date: Aug 11, 2011 10:58:29 AM
Israeli travel agent says many tourists have cancelled their flights and holidays in the UK in the
wake of riots sweeping the country.
JERUSALEM (AUGUST 11, 2011) REUTERS - Many Israeli tourists ditched plans to travel to the UK following days of riots and
looting throughout the country, travel agency said on Thursday (August 11).
The cancellations came after Israel's foreign ministry issued a travel advisory on Tuesday (August 9) advising caution when travelling to the UK and urging Israeli tourists to avoid areas of "unrest".
According to "Kanfei Meshek" travel agency in Jerusalem, almost 30 per cent flight and hotel bookings across the UK were cancelled over since the start of the unrest.
"People (are) afraid to fly to London, people don't want to fly with the children, people don't want to fly with their families.... because (of) this situation, as I told you, about 20-30 per cent is already cancelled," travel agent Elishama Atias told Reuters television. Atias said the cancellations may go up and exceed 50 per cent if the situation remains unchanged.
Many cancelled non-refundable flights and hotel reservations, Atias said, adding that the agency did their best to offer customers alternative destinations instead.
Some, however, decided to go ahead with their planned vacation.
"I wasn't afraid but then my friends told me about it, and yeah, I got scared and I am a little nervous," said Liora, a tourist flying to London.
Others tried to play the news reports down.
"Usually the information in the news .. they make it very big... I am sure everything will be fine," Eli, travelling with his wife and baby daughter to London, said.
At an emergency session of Parliament planned for Thursday, British Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to face pressure to soften his austerity plans, toughen up policing and do more to help inner-city communities after days of riots and looting laid bare deep social tensions in a depressed economy.
A surge in police numbers helped to calm streets in London and cities across England such as Manchester and Birmingham on Wednesday night, but four days of often unchecked disorder have embarrassed the authorities, leaving communities ransacked and exhausting emergency services.
Police arrested more than 1,000 people across England, filling cells and leaving courts working through the night to process hundreds of cases.