Tour firms end free cancellations

Authorities fear the Sharm death toll could rise above 88 people

Holidaymakers will not be able to cancel trips to Egypt free of charge from Tuesday, Abta has said.

Big tour operators had given worried customers until Monday to cancel their trips after three bomb attacks in Sharm al-Sheikh left 64 people dead.

Hundreds of tourists returned to the UK from Egypt over the weekend on specially organised mercy flights.

Abta said the decision was made as the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) was not advising against travel to Egypt.

Travellers undeterred

"Following the explosions in Sharm al Sheikh, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) is not advising against travel to the area and as such tour operators' normal terms and conditions apply unless the tour operator is unable to provide the contracted services," a statement from Abta (the Association of British Travel Agents) said.

"Holidays to all other destinations in Egypt remain unaffected."

Graham Lancaster, a spokesman for the Federation of Travel Operators, said that despite the cancellations offer and three extra flights laid on from Egypt for travellers to return the "majority" of people had opted to go ahead with their holidays.

"There have been some choosing not to travel, but the majority - more than half - have been choosing to travel. Equally the majority of people are completing their holidays and returning as scheduled," he told BBC News.

However, he did add that it was "too early to tell" whether the incidents would have an impact on tourism in Egypt.

British Airways agreed it was too soon to see any effect on travel to the country,

But it added that, while it only flies to Cairo, "anecdotally" it had only had a few cancellation inquiries regarding flights since the attacks.