“They [Foreign Office)]would do well to consult the specialist operators before issuing the advice. As it stands, it is totally over the top.”
Stuart Lewis, Peltours
“Occasionally the Foreign Office advice is not as correct as it should be. The Foreign Office should be aware of the enormous damage this can do to a company.”
Mike Sykes, Dragoman
“Eilat is a sleepy town going about its business of trying to sustain a tourism industry. It has been turned into the scapegoat for everything. Years and years of hard work in building up the destination were ruined by one piece of ill-informed travel advice.”
Rafi Caplin, Longwood Holidays, referring to Foreign Office advice against non-essential travel to Israel last November
“I believe politics plays a part in all this. Western Sahara has been off limits for years and still I don’t know why – no one has ever been killed there. Yet Egypt, where tourists are targeted, is never off limits.”
Martin Crabb, Guerba Expeditions
“If you don’t tell the customer of a change in advice you are left with a situation where, if something happens, you will have to justify why you chose to override that advice. If you cannot provide that, you are in severe difficulties.”
Peter Stewart, Field Fisher Waterhouse
“Our advice is respected throughout the world and is held up as a role model by other countries. But we will listen to the travel industry and see where we can improve it.”
Foreign Office spokesman