Canadians advised to avoid non-essential travel to Egypt

Analysts say the Egyptian tourism industry is likely to take a hit after a deadly plane crash over the Sinai Peninsula on Oct. 31, 2015.

Canadians are being warned to avoid all non-essential travel to Egypt as investigators probe what caused a Russian airplane to crash over the Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people onboard.

The Department of Foreign Affairs updated a travel advisory for Egypt on Friday, advising Canadians against non-essential travel to the country due to the "unpredictable security situation."

It also warned against all travel to the Sinai Peninsula, "due to terrorist activity and ongoing military operations by the Egyptian Armed Forces." This warning does not include the coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, the area within the Sharm el-Sheikh perimeter barrier, the Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport and the areas of Hadaba, Naama Bay, Nabq, Sharks Bay and Sharm el Maya, the department said.

The advisory was updated as Russian inspectors were dispatched to Egypt over the weekend to examine airport security following the Oct. 31 crash.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for bringing down the Metrojet plane, and U.S. and British officials say intelligence indicates that the aircraft was likely brought down by a bomb.

Simon Calder, a travel correspondent for The Independent newspaper, said the crash will likely take an immense toll on Egypt's tourism industry, which accounts for about 11 per cent of the country's GDP.

He told CTV's Canada AM that the country's tourism has already suffered over the last four years, as a result of political unrest that arose after the Arab Spring.

Now, the downing of the Russian aircraft is "going to make matters even worse," he said Monday. "I'm afraid we are going to have to come to terms with something looking like a bit of a humanitarian disaster in terms of Egypt's tourism dependency."

Calder said a decrease in tourism to Egypt will affect the livelihoods of millions of Egyptians, from the souvenir hawkers on the beach to resort workers to airport staff.

After the crash, several airlines stopped all normally scheduled flights to Sharm el-Sheikh, and Russia suspended all flights to Egypt due to security concerns. Over the weekend, international travellers waited for flights out of the Red Sea resort area.

Calder said tourism may pick up again in Egypt, but it hinges on the outcome of the investigation.

"The recovery will all depend on what happens with the investigation," he said, noting there is still a chance the crash was the result of some sort of aviation accident rather than a terrorist attack.

He noted, however, that recovery isn't impossible.

After a terrorist attack in Sharm el-Sheikh claimed 88 lives in 2005, it took approximately five years before tourism in the region picked up again, he said.

Meanwhile, Calder said it's important now to show solidarity with Egyptians, and continue to visit the country. This is especially true if it was a terrorist attack, he said.

"We've got almost a moral imperative to travel to Egypt," he said. "It's so important we do not let terrorists prevail, if indeed this does turn out to be a bomb that downed the jet."

With files from The Associated Press