Egypt's Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou said tourist number and revenues could rise by 5-10% by the end of 2014 and 15-20% in 2015 backed by political stability after the planned parliamentary elections.
Zaazou also expressed concern that tourism would take another hit if Islamic State militants, who have seized parts of Iraq and Syria, showed any signs of infiltrating Egypt, the biggest Arab country.
"Of course it represents a threat. No one can deny that," Zaazou told Reuters in an interview late on Sunday.
Egypt has long been a magnet for visitors interested in ancient sites, sunbathing on the Red Sea coast, or Nile cruises, but their numbers have fallen sharply since a popular revolt overthrew President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011.
Once peaking at $12.5 billion a year, tourism revenues were less than half that in 2013 as political tension in the lead-up to the army's ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi put off foreign visitors.
Zaazou also expressed concern that tourism would take another hit if Islamic State militants, who have seized parts of Iraq and Syria, showed any signs of infiltrating Egypt, the biggest Arab country.
"Of course it represents a threat. No one can deny that," Zaazou told Reuters in an interview late on Sunday.
Egypt has long been a magnet for visitors interested in ancient sites, sunbathing on the Red Sea coast, or Nile cruises, but their numbers have fallen sharply since a popular revolt overthrew President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011.
Once peaking at $12.5 billion a year, tourism revenues were less than half that in 2013 as political tension in the lead-up to the army's ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi put off foreign visitors.
Source:
Mubasher
