CAIRO: Egypt's revenue from tourism for the year to November fell 3.1 percent on a year ago, but was higher than expected thanks to strong arrivals from Europe as winter approached, a tourism official said on Thursday. Tourism is a crucial source of foreign currency and jobs in Egypt, and is watched by analysts for its effects on indicators such as gross domestic product and unemployment. About 11.45 million tourists visited Egypt in the first 11 months of 2009, down 3.4 percent compared to the same period a year ago, said Tourism Ministry spokeswoman Omayma El-Husseini. "The figure is a negative figure at the end of the day, she told Reuters. "But we're at almost 11.5 million tourists now, which I think is very good. In October the ministry said it expected arrivals to decline around 2-3 percent for 2009 compared to a year earlier. She gave the percentage drop in revenues of 3.1 percent but declined to give the actual revenue figure. Egypt's tourism sector was hit hard by the global economic crisis early in the year - revenues were down 13.2 percent in the first quarter of 2009 - but officials and analysts gradually revised their outlooks up as the season progressed. "Tourism in Egypt proved to be more resilient than expected, said EFG Hermes analyst Daniyah Darwish. "Tourists are staying for shorter periods and spending less ... but they are still coming. The bank forecasts 12.5-12.8 million tourists will visit Egypt in 2009, just down from or even with last year, she said. About 1.23 million tourists visited Egypt in November, a 7.3 percent jump over the same month last year, thanks to strong British, Russian and German arrivals, Husseini said. The total number visiting Egypt in the first 10 months to October was about 10.2 million, a 4.5 percent drop from last year, she said, revising a previously stated amount of just under 10.9 million, which she said was issued in error. The ministry stopped publishing tourism indicators last year and these figures are now mostly given to reporters informally. Tourists spent about 117 million room nights in the year to November, she said, with about 10.74 million of these spent in November alone, Husseini said. Last year more than 12.8 million tourists visited Egypt, home to Pharaonic ruins and Red Sea resorts, providing revenues of nearly $11 billion.
