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Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood condemned yesterday’s terrorist attack in Luxor which left five people injured.
The minister for North Africa said: “I strongly condemn the appalling terrorist attack in Luxor in Egypt. My thoughts are with those injured in this terrible attack.
“The UK continues to stand with the Egyptian government and people in their fight against terrorist violence.”
Tui in Germany said it had cancelled all excursions to Luxor, according to the Associated Press.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the suicide bomb attack at the ancient Karnak Temple, a top tourist attraction.
Luxor police said officers opened fire on three men after they had refused to undergo security screening at a checkpoint near the site.
Police shot two attackers as they pulled out weapons concealed in their bags, killing one and seriously wounding another.
A third attacker managed to detonate a bomb he was carrying and died. Two policemen were among those injured.
More than 600 tourists were reported to be visiting the site at the time but all escaped unhurt.
Pictures from the scene showed the blackened façade of a tourist shop amid fears that foreign visitors were being targeted by insurgents .
Egypt’s tourism minister, Khaled Ramy, said he expected the tourist industry’s slow recovery would continue, despite the latest attack.
Ramy commended the police, saying they averted a much bigger disaster.
The attack came a week after a shooting at the Giza pyramids just outside Cairo, when unidentified gunmen shot dead two police officers.
Tourism officials said that yesterday’s attack could scare much-needed foreign visitors away at a time when hotel occupancy rates in Luxor are at only 14%.
Former tourism minister, Hisham Zazou, was quoted by the Times as saying: “I had high hopes for next season. This attempt will bring us back to square one.”