Egypt Tourism Expects a Quick Recovery

Egypt Tourism Expects a Quick Recovery
By Michelle Baran

The Egypt Tourist Authority acknowledged Monday that the political uprising in Egypt spurred a “mass departure of tourists,” but said that tourism should recover quickly.

“Looking back to previous crises that hit this industry in the last decade, one can tell that the current crisis, despite all its negative effects on our business, will be and should be the fastest to fade and the least harmful of all,” ElSayed Khalifa, consul-director of the Egyptian Tourist Authority in New York, said in a statement.

Khalifa then went on to list the reasons why he believes that tourism to Egypt will recover, noting that “no single tourist was hurt in Egypt as this crisis unfolded, and all tourists were able to make it back to their respective countries safely.”

As for how the political situation is developing, Khalifa said, “A dialogue is going on between various political forces and the government, and it is evolving towards a national consensus that will make Egypt come out of the crisis stronger and more appealing to international travelers.”

Khalifa expressed hope that as the situation stabilizes, countries will reconsider their Egypt travel warnings, which will help to re-open Egypt’s tourism industry. In 2010, tourism revenue in Egypt exceeded $11 billion, and Egypt’s tourism industry employed about 2 million Egyptians, according to the tourist authority.

The demonstrations resulted in numerous cancellations for trips to Egypt in February and March, according to Khalifa. He added that it also resulted in “a loss of revenue that was keeping the economy going.”