Egypt announced on Monday that it will offer several unprecedented incentives through Egyptian hotels to attract tourists. Egypt's Ministry of Tourism hopes to see tourism recover to between 12 and 13 million visitors this year and total revenue of US$11 billion. Samy Mahmoud , undersecretary of the Egyptian Tourism Ministry, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the country is primarily seeking to reverse the decline in Emirati visitors, adding that tourism authorities are attempting to attract 1,500,000 from the Gulf region. "The future of tourism in Egypt will be great," Samy Mahmoud, undersecretary of Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and head of the International Tourism Sector, told Reuters in an interview in Dubai. "By the end of 2012, we expect between 12 and 13 million tourists. The contribution to the economy will be around $11 billion." He said figures from last year were not yet available, but added that 15.7 million tourists visited Egypt in 2010, adding around $12.5 billion to the country's economy. The Tourism Ministry said that tourism declined by 33 percent during 2011, down from 2010. A senior assistant to the tourism minister said in December that Egypt expected to earn about $9 billion from tourism in 2011. Cairo, home to the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and the 14th century Khan al-Khalili market, was rocked again on Sunday by protesters who demanded a swift presidential election and an early handover of power by the military. "Seventy-five percent of total tourist arrivals to Egypt are going to Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada and Marsa Alam. These places are very safe. Only about 25 percent are coming to Cairo," he said. Mahmoud said he expected rising a number of visitors from Russia, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the Gulf Arab region. With its pharaonic antiquities and year-round warm beaches, Egypt relies on tourism as its top foreign currency earner, source of over a tenth of gross domestic product. It provides one in eight jobs in a country beset by high unemployment. Asked about what the authorities could do to convince tourists that Egypt was safe, Mahmoud said: "By the end of June we'll have a president and a strong government. This will boost tourism in Egypt." Asked whether he thought Egypt's new government was doing enough to promote tourism, Mahmoud said: "Of course. We have good security and a good system. Tourism will be the future for the economy of Egypt.”
