CAIRO: Many steps could be taken to help revive Egyptian tourism, said Hossam el-Shair of the Travel Agencies Association. Making practical contracts with international publicity and marketing companies and canceling visa restrictions for Arab countries like Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Morocco are the main steps to revive Egyptian tourism, said Shair. Shair also said that tourist sites should be opened to Iranian tourists to revive Egyptian-Iranian relations. Shair condemned the Ministry of Interior's decision to require pre-arrival visas for German tourists. Shair called for returning trust to investors in tourism. He also expressed his worry that an Islamist-controlled parliament could make decisions hostile to tourism. The association held several meetings with political powers to review the sensitive status of the tourism industry. International festivals should be hosted in Egypt to attract tourists, according to Shair. He said no foreign tourist has been targeted since the outbreak of the January 25 Revolution. Egyptian hotels are "dying" due to the shortage of the tourists, he said, attributing the shortage to travel warnings from foreign ministries advising their citizens against visiting Egypt. Most hotels have lowered prices by 51 percent and the number of tourists visiting Egypt has declined by 30 percent. Shair said that the losses to tourism this year could exceed 50 percent.
