CAIRO: After preliminary polling numbers indicate a strong win for Egypt's Islamist parties in parliamentary elections, some in Egypt have speculated about the economic impact the landslide vote could have on the nation's economy—especially its ailing tourism sector. With the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and the Salafi el-Noor Party ahead in polls, some fear that proposed Islamic legislation such as a ban on alcohol consumption, a ban on the bikini and the enforcement of gender-segregated beaches could detract Western tourists from visiting the nation. “Beach tourism must take the values and norms of our society into account,” said Muhammad Saad Al-Katatny of the Freedom and Justice Party in August, instigating fears that new legislation could limit the lifestyle choices of those visiting the nation. “We must place regulations on tourists wishing to visit Egypt, which we will announce in advance,” he continued. Reacting to assertions that Egypt's tourism industry will suffer under Islamist rule, however, Amr Derrag, Muslim Brotherhood Secretary General of the Giza governate, told Bikyamasr.com that Egypt's tourism industry has larger, more comprehensive problems that the party plans to address. “These are trivial arguments against us. Tourism is already suffering, so there is no correlation between bikinis and alcohol and a booming tourism industry. We are taking a more comprehensive approach to tackling our problems,” Derrag explained. “We have many plans to plans to improve the tourism industry. We have plans to increase the capacity of hotel accommodations for tourists. For instance, currently, there is a big push for 5-star accommodations, but we want to expand the 3-star market, making tourism in Egypt accessible for more people,” Derrag continued. “We plan to organize airport infrastructure, and organize tourism infrastructure generally. This is lacking now.” However, Egypt's tourism officials have expressed deep concerns that an Islamist-led government would usher in the demise of the nation's profitable industry, scaring away Western visitors. Ahram Online reported that Egypt's Tourism Federation head Elhamy El-Zayat fears that “the sector will collapse under their rule.” Tourism represents one of the largest sectors of Egypt's economy, attracting a large amount of foreign revenue annually. Tourists have flocked to the nation for decades, seeking sunshine on the nation's northern Mediterranean and Red Sea coastlines or a glimpse at its ancient Pharonic treasures. Accounting for 10 percent of the nation's income, many Egyptians are dependent on the industry for jobs and hard currency. The tourism industry in Egypt has already suffered major losses in the last fiscal year, as tourists are scared away by media images of chaos and political violence in Egypt, since popular uprisings ousted former President Hosni Mubarak in February. BM
