1,300 Hungarians recalled from Egyptian vacations

Hungarian Travel Agents and Tour Operators Association (MUISz) Spokesperson Judit Molnár announced this weekend that the State Department has recalled those from Hungary visiting Egypt for security reasons as the country is locked in clashes between the military and sympathizers of ousted president Mohammed Morsi, including the Muslim Brotherhood. Travel agencies including Anubis Travel, Kartago Tours, Neckermann and Sun & Fun have been arranging early return trips for their customers in Egypt, and future vacation packages to the country have been cancelled until further notice.

On Sunday, about 500 Hungarian citizens staying in various Egyptian locations were returned home, and Anubis Travel was arranging for 290 to 300 of its clients to return yesterday evening as well. Anubis Executive Director Ahmed Bahgat explained to MTI that local airlines’ lack of capacity was stalling the Hungarian exodus from Egypt.

On its part, Anubis will be offering package offers for Greece, Jordan or Spain to customers who had booked trips to Egypt for later in the year. Likewise, Sun & Fun, which returned some 220 of its clients home on Sunday, will offer packages to Greece and Turkey as substitutes.

Meanwhile, Best Reisen Travel Agency has ceased business operations altogether as of Friday and arranged a charter flight on Friday to return some 180 of its customers staying in the Antalya area.

After a weekend of violence which included pro-government military forces firing on a mosque in which Morsi was hiding, increased military presence in Cairo and more protest action from the Muslim Brotherhood, Egyptian military leader Gen. Abdel Fattah Sisi has promised to end the dispute by any means necessary. “We will not stand by silently watching the destruction of the country and the people or the torching of the nation and terrorizing the citizens,” he proclaimed.