An Egyptian tourism committee on Wednesday proposed that former President Hosni Mubarak be transferred out of the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to promote tourism in the city. Ahmed Balbaa, head of the Egyptian Businessmen Association committee, said Mubarak should be sent to another hospital outside the city because his presence there is hurting tourism. Since April, Mubarak has been detained in a Sharm el-Sheikh hospital, pending investigations over charges of financial corruption and abuse of power. Balbaa cited a drop in Sharm el-Sheikh's hotel occupancy rate, saying foreign tour organizers fear protesters will enter the city to escalate their demands for Mubarak's prosecution. Within a few days, the committee will submit documents to Prime Minister Essam Sharaf offering solutions to increase tourism, Balbaa said. Egypt's tourism industry losses are costing Egypt almost US$40 million daily. During the unrest in Egypt, hotel occupancy rates and tourism revenues declined in all of the country's popular tourist destinations. Translated from the Arabic Edition
