Egyptian Ministry of Tourism statistics reveal a 12.6 percent increase in the number of Israeli tourists visiting Egypt between 2009 and 2010 despite periodic travel advisories issued by Israeli authorities. The data compares figures documented between January and August of each year. Statistics also show a drop in Algerian tourists by 50% during this period in 2010. Analysts attribute the decline to the crisis that erupted between the two countries following the FIFA World Cup qualifier game in Sudan last November. The Algerian win led to clashes between supporters of each national team. Egypt has seen an overall surge of 9.6 percent in the flow of tourists during the first half of 2010, according to a ministry report. The numbers of Russian tourists increase by 57 percent, Latin Americans by 32.5 percent, Europeans by 21.1 percent, and North Americans by 13.1 percent. The overall number of Arab visitors have also increased by 7.5 percent. Libyan tourists recorded an increase of 6 percent, Saudis by 4 percent, Palestinians by 73 percent, Tunisians by 8.3 percent, and Moroccans by 2.8 percent. Asian tourism rose by 26 percent, and African tourism by 8 percent, according to the report. Belgian and Swiss tourists registered the lowest figures with 2.3 percent and 3.2 percent respectively. Head of the ministry's international tourism sector, Samy Mahmoud, said the Increase in the number of Israeli tourists discredits Israeli allegations of instability in Sinai. Mahmoud also attributed the rise in African visitors to Egypt's use of "soft power" throughout the continent. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
