Resort owners scramble to woo back Sharm tourists

As visitors stranded after the crash of a Russian airliner stream home from Egypt, the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh is scrambling to keep its lucrative tourism sector alive.

Businesses in Egypt's tourism jewel famed for pristine beaches and dive sites are intent on wooing back visitors after thousands of Russian and British tourists leave the country following the October 31 crash.

The Metrojet Airbus A-321 full of mainly Russian holidaymakers heading home to Saint Petersburg came down in the Sinai desert 23 minutes after taking off from Sharm.

The jihadist Islamic State group's branch in the Sinai said it downed the aircraft, and Britain and the United States, as well as international investigators, suspect a bomb exploded on board.

Egyptian officials insist there is no evidence yet of an attack on the plane, and tourism chiefs in the town say it is secure.

"Sharm is safe. There is no problem inside Sharm el-Sheikh," Givara el-Gafy, owner of the luxurious Gafy resorts and head of the south Sinai tourism chamber, told AFP.

Tens of thousands of foreign tourists, including some 80,000 Russians and 20,000 Britons, were stranded in the resort after flights were cancelled for security reasons.

All 224 people on board the Airbus were killed when the jet crashed.

Amid growing security fears, Russia stopped all flights to Egypt and Britain halted air travel to the resort, while several other countries have warned their nationals not to fly to Sharm el-Sheikh.

Caption: The Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh

Photo: The Telegraph