Tourism in Egypt

Tourism is a major foreign exchange earner in Egypt, with 9,990,000 foreign tourist arrivals in 2007.

History

Tourism figures in Egypt grew by 20% in 2007 with roughly 10 million tourist arrivals according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). The Egyptian government plans to have 14 million visitors by 2011. [ [http://www.homesworldwide.co.uk/home/news/articles/buy_in_egypt_for_rising_rental_returns?news_id=0069404 Buy In Egypt For Rising Rental Returns] ]

Attractions

The greatest tourist attractions in Egypt are the antiquities for which Egypt is known worldwide. Principal attractions include the pyramids and Great Sphinx at Giza, the Abu Simbel temples south of Aswan, the Valley of the Kings, and the Muhammad Ali Mosque in Cairo.cite web |url=http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Egypt-TOURISM-TRAVEL-AND-RECREATION.html |title=Egypt: Tourism, travel, and recreation |accessdate=2008-06-05 |publisher=Nations Encyclopedia |date= ]

Tourist information

Passports and visas are required of foreign visitors except natives of several Middle Eastern countries. Transit voyagers, however, that travel by ship or plane are not required to obtain visas. Travellers native to most of Africa must have proof of cholera and yellow fever vaccination.

tatistics

In 2000, there were 5,506,179 foreign tourist arrivals, with over 3,800,000 from Europe, and receipts totaled more than $4.3 billion. In that year there were 113,611 rooms in hotels and 227,222 beds with a 73% occupancy rate. In 2002, the US government estimated the average daily cost of staying in Cairo to be about about $167, around the same as other major cities in Egypt.

Terrorism

: "See also: Terrorism in Egypt"Terrorism has been one the main drawbacks in Egyptian tourism, as the terrorists had been targeting specifically foreign tourists. Major terror attacks include Ras Burqa massacre (1985, 12 tourists killed), Luxor massacre (1997, 59 tourists killed), Sinai bombings (2004, 31 tourists killed) and Sharm el-Sheikh attacks (2005).

References