subject: Tourism industry in Egypt on road to recovery [print this page] Tourism industry in Egypt on road to recovery
Egypts tourist industry has had a rough time over the past couple of months, with many of the most popular tourist sites having closed while the upheavals were going on. Mercifully, the party vibe that has accompanied the establishment of a democratic state of Egypt has been a shot in the arm for their beleaguered tourism trade. Travellers from across the globe are queuing up to feel for themselves the singular feeling that can only be found in a recently liberated country. The chance to feel like a part of something larger, of revelling in the aftermath of a victorious peaceful revolution, is one that many visitors simply cannot resist. It is for many of the current generation, the equivalent of being in Berlin when the wall fell, or in Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring.
Of course, Egypt does not really need the post revolutionary party atmosphere to attract the tourists, as it already contains some of the worlds most iconic and popular tourist attractions. For example, how many nations can boast a Sphinx, a Cheops Pyramid, or a River Nile? Egypt was one of the first great classical civilisations, where many of most commonly told stories were first told. In fact, quite a lot of modern culture draws heavily on ancient Egypt, particularly the movie world. Amongst other things, Egypt is the land of King Tut, the Mummy, and Cleopatra. Egypt is somewhere that really inspires citizens from across the globe, whether they have been before, or dream of going one day.
Tourism is a pretty big deal in Egypt. At the time of writing, it is believed to give employment to more than two million people, and is perhaps the countrys leading industry. More than two hundred thousand visitors fleed the country during the recent revolution. On the other hand, beyond the major metropolitan areas of Luxor, Cairo, and Alexandria, there were no disruptions and many tourist attractions stayed open throughout. In fact, some rural attractions saw a marked upswing in revenues during the revolution, with bargain conscious holidaymakers cashing in on the rock-bottom holiday prices that were on offer during that time. Now that the country has stabilised again, the well known hotspots such as the the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx, are well and truly back in the swing, with some of the highest visitor figures for years. Provided that everything goes according to plan, then Egypt might just be THE holiday destination for this year.
