Tourists arrivals from Bahrain to Egypt have been growing rapidly in the last few years, according to Egyptian Tourism Authority (ETA) chairman Amr El Ezabi, according to reports by the Bahraini paper The Gulf Daily News. He stated overall, the number of tourists from the Gulf and the Middle East increased by 12.9 percent last year, from 1.7 million in 2005 to 1.9 million. We have had a significant increase in the number of arrivals from Bahrain though no exact figures are available, El Ezabi was reported to have said. El Ezabi told reporters that many facilities for tourists from Bahrain and the other Arab nations have been expanded to make them feel even further welcomed than ever before. We are also initiating many other steps in the immediate future to make it easier and more convenient for investors from Bahrain who wish to take part in Egypt s growing tourism industry, to come and set up shop in the country, he said. The ETA is now on a drive to promote itself regionally and Bahrain has been one of the target nations. We have brought a high-level delegation from the ETA, the Egyptian Chambers of Tourism, the hotel federation and leading members of the travel trade who will meet their counterparts in Bahrain to shed light on the latest developments in the field of tourism in Egypt, El Ezabi was reported to have said. He said there was a lot of investment already from the Gulf in Egypt s tourism sector in Cairo, Alexandria, the Red Sea and North Coast over the last two years. This signals the continued and growing importance of Egypt as a cultural capital for the Arab world and a richly attractive tourism destination for Gulf travelers, El Ezabi added. He said more and more Bahrainis, among other Arab nationals, were purchasing holiday homes in Egypt.
