Egypt urges US to ease travel ban

As Russia and Italy lifted travel advisory against Egypt, the conflict-ridden nation has called on US to ease the restrictions on traveling to Egypt.

Most of the countries have withdrawn their travel restriction recommendations against Egypt, which went through a phase of political turmoil and social unrest early this year that ousted Hosni Mubarak.

However, according to Egypt’s Minister of Tourism Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, security situation in Egypt is more stable now, local media reported.

The situation is being revised on a daily basis, Nour said.

Russia, which provided Egypt with the largest number of tourists in 2010, has lifted its travel ban to Egypt, bringing relief for the country's tourism industry.

The US Department of State, which updated its travel warnings in the wake of a nation-wide curfew in Egypt on March 29, still urges US citizens planning to travel to Egypt to consider the risks.

According to the US government, until the redeployment of Egyptian civilian police is fully restored, police response to emergency requests for assistance or reports of crime may be delayed.

The Embassy’s ability to respond to emergencies to assist US citizens is also significantly diminished, it said in a statement, asking travelers to be in contact with their tour operators, and citizens who reside in Egypt, to keep their travel documents up to date and maintain sufficient funds on hand to depart by air should security conditions change.