Egyptians with disabilities send message “Egypt is Safe” from Sharm el-Sheikh

“Our role is no different from people without disabilities. We want to re-assure the world that Egypt is safe and that we challenged the 7-hour travel despite our exceptional health circumstances to send our message,” Atef said.

 

She noted that the group included people with sight, hearing and physical imparities. In coordination with the Ministry of Transport, a number of activities were held including marathons, in which many people with disabilities participated, Atef continued.

 

The program is coordinated by the National Council for Disabilities Affairs, Egyptian Women Assembly and Misr Travel.

 

Atef, a physically-challenged activist, further added that the 50-member group “insisted to be present at the place where violence occurred to support our country,” in reference to the Russian plane crashed in October 2015 in Egypt’s Sinai, with strongly-supported, not-yet-confirmed allegations saying it was bombed by peninsula-based militants

 

The plane, which crashed minutes after departing Sharm el-Sheikh Airport, killed all 224 passengers on board. The accident is believed to have largely affected the tourism sector in Egypt, after several flight suspensions have been issued by some European countries.

 

In a reverse action by the government, a number of local campaigns kicked off, with official and artists delegations promoting for Egyptian tourism in Sharm el-Sheikh. The campaigns include providing competitive prices for Arab tourists to Egypt.

 

Side of the campaign’s activities in Sharm el-Sheikh – Courtesy of Dalia Atef

 

Egypt’s tourism sector, which represents around 11 percent of the country’s GDP, has been suffering from ongoing shocks ever since the 2011 uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak.

Despite a few instances of apparent recovery, instability and political turmoil continue to challenge the sector.

The number of tourists visiting Egypt increased by 9 percent in the first half of 2015 compared to the same period last year.