Some 2.7 million people visited Egypt in the third quarter of this year, half-a-million more than those who came during the second quarter, said the Tourism Development Authority.
In the second quarter, tourist arrivals plunged 35.4 per cent, down from 3.5 million visitors in the same period of 2010, according to official figures released in September.
“These numbers showcase the gradual recovery of the Egyptian tourism industry which still maintains its outstanding reputation on the world’s tourism map. They are also proof that Egyptian tourism is built on solid ground allowing it to sustain itself even in the harshest of times” said Amrou Ezzabi, the director of the Egyptian Board for Tourist Entertainment.
He added that the tourism industry has been successful at dealing with the uproar in the country in that it could achieve such positive numbers. “We reiterate our commitment to maintaining positive growth rates and attracting more visitors especially from the Arab Gulf”, he said.
Tourism in Egypt, home to Pharaonic sites and Red Sea resorts, is a key money earner and source of foreign currency.
Reports in May said Egypt lost LE13.5 billion ($2.27 billion) in tourism revenues in the three months since the January-February uprising that ousted Mubarak. Egypt has struggled to revive tourism since the revolt. The country attracted about 15 million tourists last year.
In May, the assistant of the Egyptian Tourism Minister told the “Middle East” newspaper, “the tourism industry has started to experience some activity after the 25th January revolution period during which occupancy rates sank to 8% compared to the expected 50% for that period. Occupancy rates before the revolution was edging up 90%.” He added, “We will focus on tourist exporting countries like Europe and the Gulf but we will also launch marketing campaigns in the Americas, South East Asia and China”. (Source: www.yallafinance.com)
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