20,000 British Tourists In Tunisia

[mikey4444]

According to the Independent, at least 20,000 british tourists are on holiday in Tunisia. At least, because that is the package tour numbers...there may be 1000's more independent travelers there as well. I am not sure how many seats you average package holiday jet has but I am guessing about 300.

That is an awful lot of flights !

[Hymie]

Using your quoted numbers, 200,000 requires 67 flights – assuming most are there on a 14 night stay, that only requires five UK flights a day, which I can believe.

I recall arriving on a flight into Pisa airport a few years ago, to observe two other 737 sized UK aircraft disembarking passengers – I was surprised that so many people from the UK arrive at Pisa each day.

Of course, as happened with Bali – the Tunisian tourist industry will be hit hard; no doubt those losing their livelihood will not be ISIS supporters.

[Hymie]

20,000

[mikey4444]

Its still quite an undertaking, when those holidays companies are already at breaking point, with all the other destinations that they still need to service, not to mention the scarcity of take-off and landing slots. I am not sure if the RAF will be called to assist, but I wouldn't be surprised.

[tamborine]

Cant see many planes from Teneriffe here

http://uk.flightaware.com/live/

[dieseldick]

tunisaia wouldnt be my choice of a holiday, no comment.

[mikey4444]

DD...sadly, not mine either. I had a wonderful week there a few years ago, in the same area that this outrage. The people were friendly, prices were very reasonable and the Roman antiquities were second only to Libya. I would lie to go back one days, although it doesn't look very likely now.

I was thinking today, that Tunisia may now be one of the safest tourist destinations, on the principle of lighting not striking twice, etc.

But I am not 100% convinced, so I will stick with Cornwall...palm trees, proper beer and proper Pasties, a language similar to English, and no ruddy airports !

[stuey]

So, Mikey, you're going to forsake your coal-mining for a spot of tin-mining:)

[Buenchico]

Many of the tourists interviewed by the media have said that they have absolutely no intention of coming home only. (That may well apply to the majority of them). So there won't be very many additional flights needed.

I would have continued with my holiday if I'd been there.

[SirOracle]

You are living in the pre Thatcher era Stuey.

[stuey]

I realize that, Sir O, even though I wasn't there when she reigned:)

[EDDIE51]

Why someone wants to go on holiday to a place that shares a 989 Km border with Libya I can not understand.
There are just 2 legal crossing places but it is just desert, you can walk or drive across anywhere, nothing to stop you or to stop a band of Islamic State murderers either. How many holiday makers realize where Tunisia is or that it borders a county with no effective government, but whose ruling war lords have sworn to bring down Europe by flooding it with 500,000 Islamic migrants a year?
News just in of a huge arms cache found near the Libyan border so expect more of the same.

[trt]

And I suppose the property prices of people who have holiday villas/apartments will go down as well.

Feel sorry for all the people there who rely on the tourist for a living.

[Prudie]

Yes don't forget those 20,000 already had return flights. It will only be those who want to come back early that will need extra flights - although they could get into boats and hope the Italians pick them up.

[EDDIE51]

This is what the travel agents don not want you to see
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/03/09/uk-tunisia-libya-idUKKBN0M51KQ20150309
There was news of another one today but I can't find a link.

[Maydup]

Full Board package holidays to Tunisia are really popular from the local airports. Pictures of sandy beaches and all you can eat buffets make them an easy sell, and no driving to Gatwick,

Like Eddie says, I don't think people realise for one minute that the country borders Libya.

[Svejk]

Such insight;
mikey4444.
/// I was thinking today, that Tunisia may now be one of the safest tourist destinations, on the principle of lighting not striking twice, etc.///

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/18/eight-people-killed-in-attack-on-tunisia-bardo-museum

[-Talbot-]

The first bolt of lightening must have gone right over mikey's head, Svejk.

[ichkeria]

On a flight to Monastir once I heard somene ask the person sat next to them which country they were flying to
On a trip to the supermarket yesterday I heard the lady behind the till talking about her holiday plans to a colleague:
'Well I've looked on a map and it's not near Tunisia but quite near Turkey'

Name that destination in one. Greece perhaps? Oops ...

[ichkeria]

There was an Al Qaeda attack in Tunisia several years ago which seems to have been forgotten about as well as the failed attack in Sousse 2 years ago.

Those were widely seen as an attempt to scupper the country's tourist industry although how that would square with the current protests against poverty is anyone's guess. I'm not sure I'd want to be a relative of the gunman either