'No Danger' for Second Tourist Group in Syria, Lebanon
A second group of Estonian tourists in Syria and Lebanon can rest assured, according to Germalo Travel.
The Estonian tourism operator recently flew a group of 36 holidaymakers to the region.
Marianne Kaldas, head of the travel agency, told uudised.err.ee that the group arrived in Beirut by plane on March 19 and is currently in Syria. They should return to Beirut on March 26, whence they will fly back to Estonia.
"I even thought of having them return via Jordan, but everyone I talked to said that there was no sense in changing the route," Kaldas said.
She said the people will be taken by bus directly from Syria to Beirut's airport with no stops on the way. "There is nothing to fear and there's no sense in creating any panic over this," she said.
The route will not approach Bekaa Valley, where seven Estonian cyclists were abducted on March 23.
Germalo plans to fly out the next group to Syria and Lebanon in October. Kaldas did not wish to speculate on the effect that the recent events may have on the company's tour sales. "We shall see how it turns out," she said.
Erkki Sivonen