Travel firms pull out of Tunisia after UK government warns fresh attack is 'highly likely'

 
Beach attack: Tributes at the scene of the massacre in Sousse last month (Picture: Getty)
Fethi Belaid/AFP/Getty Images
Sebastian Mann9 July 2015

Fears of a fresh terror attack in Tunisia have caused travel firms to pull out of the country as a holiday destination.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has advised British tourists to leave the country following intelligence that a terrorist attack is "highly likely".

It prompted Thomson and First Choice to immediately cancel all outbound flights to Tunisia for the summer season running up to and including October 31.

The firm does not currently have any customers in Tunisia but "as a precautionary measure we have taken the decision to repatriate all British Thomson and First Choice staff currently working in Tunisia within the next 24 hours," a spokesman said.

All 30 of the Britons who were killed in the beach massacre in Sousse were Thomson and First Choice customers.

Thomas Cook UK & Ireland cancelled all future bookings to Tunisia up to the same date. A spokesman said it will be bringing all of its customers back to the UK "as soon as we can".

The spokesman added: "The safety and well-being of our customers is our primary concern. As always, we have been closely following the advice from the FCO and local authorities to monitor the situation in Tunisia."

He went on: "Thomas Cook is strongly advising its guests in the country to return on these flights. We are also sending our specialist assistance teams to Tunisia to offer customers additional support in resort.

"We are committed to doing everything we can to support our guests in Tunisia at this time and will work to bring them back to the UK safely and as soon as possible."

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told the BBC: "While we do not have any information suggesting a specific or imminent threat, since the attack in Sousse the intelligence and threat picture has developed considerably leading us to the view that a further terrorist attack is highly likely."

Additional reporting by PA

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