CAIRO: The tourism industry in Egypt has plummeted by roughly 35 percent according to the country's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS). This decline of over one million tourists has placed a strain on the economy, as well as on the lives of those who relied on tourism for their livelihoods. Moustafa al-Fayomee, a 28 year old Egyptian who has worked in the Egyptian tourism industry since 2004. Has lived in Denmark and speaks Danish, English and Arabic. During his time in the tourism industry he has garnered a very broad knowledge base on current Egyptian affairs, as well as many friends from a wide variety of people, from tourists to locals, army officers and government employees. Al-Fayomee spoke to Bikyamasr.com about his views and expectations of the January 25 Egyptian Revolution. You have been working in the tourism industry here for some time. How has the revolution affected you? First, I work as a tour guide. Anything from the Pyramid tours and museum visits, to trips in Hurghada. The tourism industry was one of the most affected industries in the country. Because of everything that happened, tourists naturally stayed away from Egypt. As someone who works in the field I lost a lot of work. The truth is that the industry needs to be a part of this change as well, as the services were very inadequate and often also humiliating. I felt that the quality of our services often gave Egypt a bad name, and I am not the only one in the industry that feels this way. This is a good opportunity to improve on the quality of our services, from the super organized bat cruises to the shabby and often mistreated horse and camel riding around the pyramids.” Why did you decide to work in the tourism industry? My true passion was fine arts, but due to the nature of the governmental education system, I was not eligible. So I decided to find a job which would allow me to meet as many different types of people, from as many different cultures and nationalities. Being a tour guide allows me to meet all these people, as well as to learn more about art and history, two of my biggest passions. So, what do you feel is the biggest obstacle that Egyptians need to overcome, now that Mubarak is ousted and elections seem to be around the corner? The media itself, mainly national media but not exclusively, has portrayed the protesting and demonstrations as the reasons for our lack of economic recovery. They show the situation as being chaotic because the reports themselves are unclear. We as Egyptians need to be united by some common goals, like protecting human rights and public freedoms, as well as the demands of the revolution. We need to rebuild the political life in Egypt which allows for anyone to have a chance in it. Many of the neighbourhoods that are outspoken pro-Mubarak can be found in the tourism related areas such as Giza. Many people say camel warriors came from these areas, and they are the ones that have the stables and make their living on tourism. Do you feel that there has been an increase in xenophobia since the revolution began? Among the uneducated, yes, more so than others. Although I think it is greatly exaggerated, because even now there are still rumours circulating about how foreigners helped facilitate the revolution. I believe a few months ago an army general even accused the 6th of April movement of being trained outside of Egypt, specifically Serbia. These statements do in some ways affect the public opinion of foreigners negatively, but I really think it only really affects the simpler Egyptians. In general I believe people want to blame others for their problems, especially those that have lived in misery for so long they have given up hope of a better life. Egypt needs tourists and expats, because they provide a good source of revenue. BM
