CAIRO: Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi was on a visit to popular tourist destination and historical site Luxor in southern Egypt on Friday, where he pledged that toursists to Egypt would have complete security. His comments come as Egypt hopes to reboot tourism, which has dropped off considerably since 2011′s uprising ousted former President Hosni Mubarak. “After the revolution, Egyptians are intent on assuring security for all visitors," the president said on a visit to Luxor in southern Egypt, quoted by state news agency MENA. “Egypt is safer than before and open to all, and Luxor will remain the capital of tourism and antiquities," he said of the town. Luxor is home to much of Egypt's ancient heritage, including the Temple Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. It is a major draw for foreigners. Morsi promised tourists visiting the temples of Luxor and Karnak “to make every effort to prevent anything that could damage tourism again." Last month, Egypt's tourism ministry reported that the country received more than five million tourists into the country through the first part of 2012 and expects the total number to visit Egypt over the year to pass the 12 million mark. If attained, that would be a 23 percent increase over the previous year, Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour told reporters at a press conference. Fears still exist in the country, and especially among the tourist industry that Morsi would implement a new strict Islamic policy on the country's beaches – banning bikinis and alcohol – but Abdel Nour said he doesn't believe any leader would do so. The Muslim Brotherhood, of which Morsi came out of, has said it has no plans to do so in the future. Abdel Nour said at a press conference in Cairo that Egypt received 5,242,652 tourists during the first 6 months of 2012, a 27 percent rise on the same period of 2011. He noted a significant rise in tourist arrivals from Russia, Poland and Germany in particular. “I expect that the second half of the year will witness great recovery in tourism," Abdel Nour said, citing among other factors new initiatives by the ministry to boost ecotourism. “I expect that Egypt will be able, without much effort, to receive more than 12 million tourists by the end of the year," he told the conference.
