Fake tour operator deceits tourists

TIRANA, Aug. 15 – Police reported they had arrested the head of a Tirana-based tour operator named Pasha Holiday as the company left hundreds of Albanians tourists stranded in the Egyptian resort of Sharm Al-Sheik.
Hundred eighty-eight Albanian tourists could go nowhere after arriving at the Sharm el-Sheikh report as there was no booking for them. They were blocked at the airport and faced a nightmare returning home. The agency had failed to pay its Egyptian counterparts, leaving the holidaymakers stranded.
Police arrested owner of the Pasha Holiday agency, Marselinda Kartoci, suspected of defrauding dozens of people under the presence of sending them on vacation to Sharm Al-Sheik while her company was under bankruptcy.
During the post-communist last two decades Thousands of Albanians leave for reports mainly in Egypt, Turkey and also Greece and other countries in Europe.
It is not uncommon that often their charters are delayed but stranded like the tourists in Egypt has not been the case. The Albanian tourists asked the Foreign Ministry to help them return home. After a day at the airport there they managed to return home on Tuesday morning after rescheduling new tickets with Albania’s low cost carrier Belle Air.
The tourists had paid from 316 to 600 euro for 10 days at the Sharm El-Sheikh resort. This time the tourists had to pay themselves again 250 dollars to get back home with the new flight company.
While there are many issues to be resolved to promote tourism better in the country, the recent incident showed that authorities should keep tourist operators better in check and not let them abuse with the people.
It also showed that authorities can resolve difficult situations and should get credits for resolving their return home. Though it would have been better if they had not paid again for their return.
Now it is up to the court and the prosecutors to punish the fake operator. But that will not pay back the tourists, speaking of the money because the turmoil they suffered can be compensated with nothing.