Call for boosting Egypt tourism

A Cairo-based travel agent has called on the leaders of Islamist parties, who have been making big gains the parliamentary elections so far, to exert every possible effort to boost tourist numbers to Egypt and not take steps that would harm the industry, which employs more than 3 million workers.

Mohamed Abdul Fattah said that statements by the Islamsists had sacred away potential tourists, whose numbers have dropped dramatically since the January 25 revolution.

"Some statements by the Islamist party leaders have frightened tourists," Abdul Fattah lamented.

Over the past two months, Abdul Fattah said the Salafists aroused unpleasant memories of Afghanistan's hardline Taliban when they announced that they would ban alcohol and mixed beaches.

They also announced that they wanted the country's priceless statues of pharaohs to be covered or destroyed because they amounted to idolatry, which is strictly forbidden in Islam.

Abdul Fattah said that the tourists became afraid to come to Egypt because of such a statement, which also had a very negative impact on the tourism industry as a whole.

As a result, he complained, many that Nile cruise ship sailed had been docked since then on the banks of the river in Aswan, the site of majestic pharaonic ruins.

"Instead of encouraging tourists to return to Aswan during the Christmas and New Year holidays, the Salafists's statements have left more than 300 ships moored waiting for customers, who can not come at least for now," he said.

At present, more than 20 boats are still setting sail, Abdul Fattah said, adding that many travel agencies and hotels in Luxor and Aswan have incurred great losses.

"I'm keeping my company open just to pay salaries, but not to make profit because that's not going to happen anytime soon," he told The Egyptian Gazette, while touring Cairo's Tahrir Square along with his Sottish wife, Eileen.

Like many, Abdul Fattah has said that he accepts he has to pay the bills and salaries even without revenues, so as to be ready once tourists return. He said he was not sure when that would be.

"Salaries are sometimes late, because I pay when I have the money. We are all patient because there is nothing travel company owners can do at this point but the problem is they can't predict when this dry spell will end," he explained.

Tourist numbers have plummeted, dealing a blow to three millions of Egyptians whose livelihoods depend on the 14 million or more visitors who once came to Egypt annually,' he explained.

The number of tourists visiting Egypt dropped by more than a third in the second quarter of 2011 compared to last year, Abdul Fattah.

In Aswan, the high season doesn't usually start until fall when the weather is cooler.

Abdul Fattah said many tourists have cancelled their reservations many controversial statements by the Islamists and many incidents of violence that broke out in Cairo recently.

"The hotel occupancy rate in Aswan is now about 15 per cent," he said.

Abdul Fattah said the Islamists and the agencies concerned should draw plans to lure more than 20 million tourists into visiting Egypt each year.

He also called on the Islamists not to support laws that might harm the industry.