PHOTO: Tunis as seen from the water. (Courtesy of Thinkstock)
Costa Cruises and MSC Cruises have each issued statements in the wake of an attack on the Bardo National Museum in the Tunisian capital of Tunis on Wednesday that left 21 people dead including two of the gunmen.
According to the Guardian, 17 European tourists from Italy, Poland, Germany and Spain were killed at the museum, in addition to a Tunisian security guard and cleaning woman. Another two dozen people were injured in the attack, including 22 tourists.
A manhunt is currently on for additional suspects.
Following the attack on the museum, both Costa Cruises and MSC Cruises ordered excursion buses back to their respective ships, the Costa Fascinosa and MSC Splendida, and immediately suspended all scheduled land activities in the city.
Costa Cruises, which confirmed that a Bardo tour was on the itinerary for some of its 3,100-plus passengers aboard the Costa Fascinosa, issued the following statement on Wednesday:
MSC Cruises' MSC Splendida was also calling at the port of La Goulette in Tunis on Wednesday, leading to a statement from the Switzerland-based cruise line courtesy of CNBC's Ryan Ruggiero on Twitter:
MSC Cruises has only gone so far as to say that some of its guests were at the Bardo museum during the attack.
World Travel and Tourism Council CEO David Scowsill also issued a statement in response to Wednesday's deadly attack: "Whilst our hearts go out to families of the victims of this terrible massacre, and to the authorities who are seeking the perpetrators, we know from experience that the travel industry is very resilient and destinations like Tunis will recover very fast in the months to come."
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