Dorine Reinstein
The tourism industry in Egypt is breathing a sigh of relief, as travel restrictions are being lifted around the world and tourists are slowly heading back to the country. The political turmoil in the country, which saw the military oust President Mohamed Morsi last year, had a devastating effect on the tourism industry.
However, Egypt Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou is positive about the future and went as far as saying that he expected tourism to recover completely as soon as 2015. He told the news agency Reuters that he hoped tourist numbers would rise by up to 10% this year and recover to pre-Arab Spring levels of 14.7 million visitors in 2015. “If the relative stability that exists now continues, I imagine there will be a full recovery,” he said.
The minister added he would also look into diversifying the country’s tourism image. He explained that although sea resorts and ancient sites will always be the backbone of the Egyptian tourism industry, Zaazou said he would also start promoting desert safaris, trekking and spa tourism.
Jim Holden, president of tour operator Africa Inc., has definitely seen a renewed interest from the U.S. traveling public, but he warns there still is a wariness from travellers to plunge back in until they are certain that the political situation has indeed settled down. He says: “Concerns are abating, but with the current unsettled state of the world travelers are being hesitant going anywhere they feel might have insecurity issues.”
Having said that, Holden is also optimistic that business will return to Egypt in the years to come. He says: “What will hold it back is if the current strife around the world continues with Iraq, Ukraine and Israel on the front page of the news. Once the current political strife in Iraq, Ukraine, and Israel is seen to be contained, travelers will start asking for Egypt once again.”
Insight Vacations was one of the first companies to announce it would return to Egypt starting in January. The operator will offer four different itineraries to help rebuild tourism in the destination. Phil Cappelli, president of Insight Vacations, says the company has been keeping a close eye on the political and social situation in Egypt. "We have a long-standing history with Egypt, and we are excited to continue this tradition," said Cappelli. "We have made this decision after extensive consultation with our teams on the ground, and we will continue to maintain constant dialogue with our ground handlers."