| News in Brief |
Pirates Release Second Yemeni Boat
By: Saba | Somali pirates have released the second Yemeni fishing boat, al-Qana'a, they had hijacked early in December off Somalia's coast along with another boat, Faluja, head of the Coastguards Ali Ahmed Rasi has said.
Yemen news agency, Saba, reported that 8 fishermen were onboard the boat ... >> More | | | Trial of the Jew’s killer in Yemen
By: Saba | The trial of Yahia Al-Abdi accused in killing the Yemeni Jew Masha Yaiesh has began today in Amran ... >> More |
YemenOnline >> Special Report [1].jpg)
Tourism in Yemen is Safe
YemenOnline-August 21,2008 -The British Foreign Office has changed its Travel Advice, confirming that Yemen is a safe destination for responsible travellers - The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is now advising against visiting just five of Yemen’s 21 Governorates, having previously advised “against all but essential travel” to the whole country. The FCO changed its advice on Wednesday 20 August following its latest assessment of a series of developments that have been welcomed by foreign governments and tour operators alike. The official Travel Advice (TA), which can be viewed in full at http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/middle-east-north-africa/yemen/, now reads:“We advise against all but essential travel to the Governorates of Sa’dah, Ma’rib, al Jawf, Shabwah and Hadramaut due to the threat of terrorism and tribal violence. Since September 2006 travel restrictions have applied in these Governorates. You should take all necessary steps to protect your safety; this includes having confidence in your personal security arrangements.”The US State Department, which had temporarily withdrawn some of its non-essential staff following an attack on its embassy, has praised the Yemeni Government for its handling of a number of more recent incidents and earlier this month announced that all its staff would be returning soon.The most positive development for Yemen has been the final cessation of conflict in the remote northern Governorate of Sa’ada more than five weeks ago. As President Saleh remarked on 14 July: “dialogue is better than bloodshed”, and a whole range of initiatives is already emerging, involving dialogue between the different groups and especially engaging young people. Meanwhile some foreign governments had remained anxious about security arrangements for visitors. But last month the Yemeni Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Interior invited European ambassadors to a joint meeting in Sana’a to describe in detail the specific security measures that are in place and to address any other concerns that foreign governments might have. The Ministries of Tourism and the Interior have together implemented an integrated security strategy in all tourism destinations. According to the Ministry of Tourism, there is now no internal restriction on tourists wishing to visit and travel between key sites and attractions from Sana’a to Aden, al-Hajarah, Hodeida, Ibb, Manakha, Marib, Mukalla, Sayun, Shibam, Shibam-Kawkaban, Ta’iz, Tarim, Thula, Wadi Do’an, Wadi Hadhramaut and of course Socotra. The Foreign Minister expressed concern about travel warnings and invited foreign governments to review their TA. This has led to some thorough assessments and helped the FCO to have the confidence to change its TA to what it is today.Said Yemen Tourism Promotion Board’s UK representative Benjamin Carey: “This is great news for Yemen, which has recognised the value of tourism, especially in some of the more deprived rural areas that are so rich in cultural and natural heritage”. He continued: “Following UNESCO’s inscription of the Socotra Archipelago – often described as the ‘Galapagos of the Indian Ocean’ – Yemen now has the largest number of World Heritage Sites in Arabia. We are already talking to leading British operators about opportunities for developing programmes in Yemen, particularly in places like Socotra that offer some of the finest (and least known) diving in the world and the Old City of Sana’a at an altitude of more than 7,000 feet, which has been inhabited for more than two and a half millennia and contains more than 6,000 houses that date from before the 11 th Century. There is a real opportunity here to support the growth of tourism in Yemen as a tool of economic development and to encourage British visitors to contribute to Yemen’s development by going to enjoy its magnificent cultural and natural heritage. This is also great news for British tour operators and we therefore look forward to sitting down with operators at World Travel Market in November. As in any less established destination, visitors should of course take sensible precautions, but this really is brilliant news for responsible British travellers.”Said The Traveller’s Product & Tours Manager Matthew Valentine: “Yemen has been in our programme since 1992. We therefore welcome this change and confirm that Yemen will be in our brochure for 2009” and Live-Travel’s Managing Director Phil Haines emphasised: “Our clients always feel entirely safe and exceedingly welcome travelling around the country with our highly experienced guides and drivers”.Head of Operations Marc Leaderman at Wild Frontiers, which later this year is offering a pioneering trip from Ethiopia & Djibouti across the Red Sea to Yemen, said: “This is very good news. Whilst our clients tend to be more experienced travellers and understand the challenges of visiting less established destinations, it is always encouraging when the Foreign Office goes some way towards reflecting the reality on the ground and confirms that the country is as safe a destination as many others in the world today.”
Yemen Tourism Promotion Board (YTPB) Executive Director Ahmad Al-Biel commented: “The feedback from British visitors is invariably excellent. I hope that many more people from Britain and Ireland will come to experience our beautiful country”, whilst Yemenia’s UK manager Jubran Al-Jahdari: “This is great news, as British travellers will once again be able to take advantage of our direct non-stop flights from Heathrow”. ---ENDS---
|
| |
  | |
|
|
|
