Tunisia Sets up Crisis Cell for Thomas Cook Fallout

Passengers are seen at Thomas Cook check-in points at Enfidha-Hammamet International Airport, Tunisia. (Reuters)
Passengers are seen at Thomas Cook check-in points at Enfidha-Hammamet International Airport, Tunisia. (Reuters)
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Tunisia Sets up Crisis Cell for Thomas Cook Fallout

Passengers are seen at Thomas Cook check-in points at Enfidha-Hammamet International Airport, Tunisia. (Reuters)
Passengers are seen at Thomas Cook check-in points at Enfidha-Hammamet International Airport, Tunisia. (Reuters)

Tunisia has set up a crisis cell to deal with the fallout of British tour operator Thomas Cook's collapse on Monday, which has left around 4,500 mostly British tourists stranded in the North African country, officials said.

Tunisian authorities said officials and tourism industry representatives from both countries were to meet on Tuesday with Tunisia's central bank.

Thomas Cook, which had suspended trips to Tunisia after deadly jihadist attacks in 2015, returned in force last year and in 2019 with around 100,000 bookings a year, mostly from Britons.

"We currently have about 4,500 British tourists in the hotels who will finish their stay as scheduled, and their repatriation will be paid for" by London, Tourism Minister Rene said on Mosaique FM radio.

According to his ministry, a British compensation fund is being prepared to also pay unpaid debts to Tunisian hoteliers, which local media have estimated at $65 million.

Managers of a hotel in the coastal resort of Hammamet briefly delayed the departure of a group of tourists until they could verify that payments owed by Thomas Cook had been made, an interior ministry spokesman told AFP.

The resort managers requested additional payments even though the group had already paid the costs of their stay in full, one tourist said.

"After an hour they left the hotel and are currently at the airport," said the government spokesman.

"There are other Thomas Cook groups in Hammamet, Sousse, Mahdia and Djerba -- all payment procedures have been settled."

Monday's bankruptcy, which followed a lengthy period of financial turmoil after a disastrous 2007 merger deal, left a total of some 600,000 tourists stranded worldwide, according to Thomas Cook.

The British government launched emergency plans to fly some 150,000 UK holidaymakers back home.



Dubai Expects $15.4 Bln in Economic Gains from Metro Blue Line

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid at Blue Line Metro groundbreaking ceremony – Asharq Al-Awsat
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid at Blue Line Metro groundbreaking ceremony – Asharq Al-Awsat
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Dubai Expects $15.4 Bln in Economic Gains from Metro Blue Line

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid at Blue Line Metro groundbreaking ceremony – Asharq Al-Awsat
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid at Blue Line Metro groundbreaking ceremony – Asharq Al-Awsat

Dubai expects its newly launched Blue Line metro project to generate more than 56.5 billion dirhams ($15.4 billion) in cumulative economic, social and environmental benefits by 2040, officials said at a groundbreaking ceremony attended on Monday by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

 

The Blue Line represents one of the emirate’s most significant transport infrastructure investments to date and is a cornerstone of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and the D33 economic agenda aimed at boosting the city’s global competitiveness and quality of life.

 

Spanning 30 kilometers with 14 stations serving nine districts, the Blue Line is expected to serve nearly one million residents by 2040. Authorities estimate it will reduce road congestion by 20% and increase property values along its route by up to 25%.

 

During the ceremony, Sheikh Mohammed approved the design of the Emaar station, which is set to become the world’s tallest metro station at 74 meters high, with a daily passenger capacity of up to 160,000.

 

Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said the new line will expand the city’s rail network to 131 kilometers, with 78 stations and 168 trains in operation.

 

Since its launch in 2009, Dubai Metro has transported more than 2.5 billion passengers and now accounts for around 6% of total public transport ridership in the city, according to figures released on Monday.

 

Preliminary studies show the Blue Line will deliver wide-ranging benefits through reduced fuel consumption, lower carbon emissions and improved traffic safety.

 

The line will also provide direct connectivity between Dubai International Airport and key economic, educational and tourism hubs, with travel times ranging from 10 to 25 minutes.

 

Once completed, the Blue Line will become Dubai’s fifth major mass transit initiative, following the Red and Green metro lines, Dubai Tram, and Route 2020.