According to statistics from the Egyptian Ministry of Interior published at the end of last week, appeals by foreign women to security authorities regarding sexual harassment and aggression increased by 45%, and cases of rape of foreign women by local residents increased by 28%. More than 78% of the total number of crimes were recorded in Hurghada, and 16% of attacks occurred in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Experts from the domestic tourism industry generally viewed their colleagues' initiative positively, but believe that the problem is largely far-fetched, and that female tourists themselves create difficulties in communicating with Egyptian men. «If the police consider it their duty to take measures to ensure the safety of tourists, that is gratifying!» said Svetlana Fedorova, head of the press service of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR). The work of identifying citizens who have committed and are committing unlawful actions, according to the head of the ATOR press service, can prevent dangerous situations. Ideally, in her words, people with a tarnished reputation should not end up on a blacklist, but in «places not so remote.»
According to Roman Rybakov, head of the advertising and PR department of TEZ TOUR, the initiative of the Egyptian authorities is a preventive measure that will allow tourists to feel more protected. «Meanwhile, I do not think that the problem of attacks on female tourists is specific to Egypt,» Roman Rybakov believes. «This can happen in any country, especially when it comes to Arab countries.»
«There have been no such cases or complaints in our company, although we work extensively on Egypt,» said Valery Chumakov, director of the company «Тур Лэнд». Egypt has something that many other states do not – a tourist police force, so it is doubly strange to hear about increased attacks on foreign female tourists, Valery Chumakov believes. «I would not talk about any trend or statistics, as I consider this topic far-fetched,» says the director of «Тур Лэнд». «If a girl says she does not want to get acquainted, no one will pester her, especially when there are a hundred or more other tourists around.»
In many «slippery» situations, female tourists are primarily to blame themselves, according to the surveyed tour operators. «Of course, I will not deny that unfortunate Arab shopkeepers call out to our girls on the streets and shout 'Natasha, Natasha' after them, but often many troubles occur due to the negligence of the tourists themselves,» explains Roman Rybakov.
General recommendations from tour operators for those traveling to Egypt differ little from advice for those visiting Eastern countries. In particular, one should not behave provocatively in a foreign country or dress in excessively revealing clothing. «Don't flirt with local men!» advises Valery Chumakov. «They have a hard life. To get married, you have to pay a bride price.»
Our women, explains Valery Chumakov, first respond to advances themselves, and then, when something does not suit them, they start complaining about «harassment.» «What is perceived as light flirting in Europe actually becomes a proposition for bed in the East. Many female tourists consider countries like Egypt or Turkey almost as their own dacha! Although one must clearly understand that our behavioral norms do not always correspond to the traditions and ideas of morality in a foreign country,» explains the director of the travel company.
Svetlana Fedorova also reminds our female tourists that Egypt is a Muslim country and the rules of conduct there are somewhat stricter than in other places. «If you are returning from a disco in the evening, call a taxi! Do not go anywhere with new acquaintances and then be surprised that your consent to take a walk is perceived in a different way,» she advises. According to Roman Rybakov, in Egypt it is better not to «flash» expensive jewelry, moreover, you should not walk alone in deserted areas, you should stick together in a group of at least two or three people and not look for trouble.
«Both female and male tourists should be very attentive and extremely cautious even on the hotel grounds and always remember that you are in another country,» add the legal agency «Персона Грата». «You need to treat your own safety with all seriousness.»
If trouble still cannot be avoided, experts unanimously advise not to panic, but to take decisive and reasonable measures. «If you are attacked, you should first contact the police and the host party,» explains Fedor Korobkov, executive director of the Club for the Protection of Tourist Rights. «You also need to inform the consul. The main thing in such a situation is not to panic.»
As for the initiative of Egyptian tour operators, it is not yet clear how the authorities will respond to it. Even if we assume that the Egyptian government agrees with the tour operators and actually decides to create a blacklist, it is not entirely clear how the Egyptian authorities will be able to prohibit individual citizens from appearing in one or another part of the country.
Оксана КИСЛИЦЫНА.
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