On Tuesday, November 29, Minister of Tourism Mounir Fakhri Abdel-Nour states that Egypt is safe for tourists, pointing to the organisation of the elections process as an indicator thereof.
He adds that international media coverage of the Egypt's historic parliamentary polls has put forward a positive image offsetting attempts by countries to discourage their citizens from travelling to Egypt during the election period.
Abdel-Nour said he cast his vote in Cairo's Zamalek district Monday.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Unrest in Egypt unlikely to pose threat to tourists: MD
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Unrest+Egypt+unlikely+pose+threat+tourists/5781781/story.html
I write to clarify a tremendous misconception that is being purveyed about Egypt and the problems facing it.
The press in general is portraying Egypt as a country in considerable disarray. At worst, the common misconception is that the situation in Egypt is extremely dangerous and that the country should not be visited.
I spent the last two weeks in Egypt. I visited Cairo, Kom Ombo and Edfu, Aswan, Luxor and Sharm el-Sheikh. I visited all accompanied by my wife and my daughter, Stephanie. While we were always accompanied by a tourist guide and people who had invited us, there was never, for one moment, a question we were in danger or threatened in any way. We of course did not venture to Tahrir Square, nor to any area where there was news of disturbances.
But let's be realistic. This is a matter totally between the Egyptian people and their government, which is currently a military dictatorship.
No guest or visitor is in danger. In fact, an Arabic principle is that guests are protected. Visitors are revered and treated well. We were treated like royalty - pampered, in fact. While it behooves visitors to be responsible and use common sense, one can still visit Egypt safely and in comfort. We are very glad we were in Egypt. We cherish our memories and we have made many new friends.
Dr. Barry Lycka, Edmonton
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Quote from Egyptian Tourist Office in UK & Ireland
Khaled Rami, director of the Egyptian Tourist Office for the UK and Ireland, said most of the country was safe, adding "If you look at Tahrir Square you would think all of Egypt is burning, but only in the way that anybody outside of the UK who saw footage of the August riots would think all the UK was burning."
Shakira to sing in Egypt
http://amc.amiral.com/ana/index.php?r=news/default/view&id=2462&lang=en
Latina pop star Shakira is scheduled to perform in Egypt on 13 January after the concert dates were postponed several times due to unstable conditions and the parliamentary elections.
Event organizer Waleed Mansour said the main purpose of the event is to show the world that Egypt is safe and tourists can visit.
The Colombian singer's recent trip to Israel prompted concerns about her planned concert in Egypt. The concert was originally scheduled for 29 November.
“This singer is not Egyptian and so we are not responsible for her personal opinions. We will celebrate her art and not her political positions,” the concert organizer said.
The concert will be held at the hockey stadium in Nasr City, Cairo, which accommodates 15,000 people. Ticket prices will range from LE150 to LE500.
The pop diva will sing for an hour and a half and will be preceded by DJ Antoine Clamaran and other Mexican and Italian performers.
Shakira is choosing an Egyptian artist who will join her on stage for one song, Mansour said.
The concert will be recorded and sold to a satellite channel, mostly likely Al-Hayat.
Mansour declined to say how much Shakira will be paid for the concert but added that the sponsor mobile phone company will pay 70 percent of her fees.
Latina pop star Shakira is scheduled to perform in Egypt on 13 January after the concert dates were postponed several times due to unstable conditions and the parliamentary elections.
Event organizer Waleed Mansour said the main purpose of the event is to show the world that Egypt is safe and tourists can visit.
The Colombian singer's recent trip to Israel prompted concerns about her planned concert in Egypt. The concert was originally scheduled for 29 November.
“This singer is not Egyptian and so we are not responsible for her personal opinions. We will celebrate her art and not her political positions,” the concert organizer said.
The concert will be held at the hockey stadium in Nasr City, Cairo, which accommodates 15,000 people. Ticket prices will range from LE150 to LE500.
The pop diva will sing for an hour and a half and will be preceded by DJ Antoine Clamaran and other Mexican and Italian performers.
Shakira is choosing an Egyptian artist who will join her on stage for one song, Mansour said.
The concert will be recorded and sold to a satellite channel, mostly likely Al-Hayat.
Mansour declined to say how much Shakira will be paid for the concert but added that the sponsor mobile phone company will pay 70 percent of her fees.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Egyptian Blogger confirms reports of normalcy outside of Tahrir
"#tahrir not stopping life outside it at all. Shops, restaurants, bookstores all open #Egypt" Tweeted at 4:30 pm Cairo time on Saturday, November 26th.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Global Post: For most of Cairo, it is business as usual, while clashes in downtown Cairo rage, the rest of the city grows weary.
November 23, 2011
CAIRO, Egypt — It is a conspicuously quiet morning in the upscale Cairo hamlet of Zamalek, perched on a breezy island in the Nile River where the city’s well-heeled young sip expensive designer lattes at global coffee-shop chains.
For many of the wealthy residents here, the violence at Cairo’s Tahrir Square, where thousands of anti-government protesters have squared off in deadly battles with police forces for four days, could not be further away.
It is a surreal and in some ways uncomfortable reality for both demonstrators and observers to encounter: While several streets in downtown Cairo have transformed into a veritable battlefield, with volleys of potent tear gas, gunfire and Molotov cocktails puncturing daily life and leaving at least 30 protesters dead, the majority of this 20 million-strong city is going about its business as usual.
"We need to make ends meet, we need to support our families,” said 39-year-old Hisham Mohammed, a cashier at a small cafe perilously close to the frontline but that still served more than a dozen customers at a time yesterday. Mohammed was sporting a surgical mask while he worked to stave off the effects of tear gas inhalation.
“But I am with the people,” he said. “I am not with the police or army.”
Some of the normalcy is wrought of financial necessity or apathy, but some is also due to genuine opposition to protesters’ motives and tactics as they clamor to fell the military-run government.
Activists are calling for a complete end to military rule in favor of a civilian government, and a clear timetable for presidential elections.
At the heart of the protests in Tahrir, also the focal point of the 18-day uprising that ousted decades-long president, Hosni Mubarak, in February, some Egyptians are tired of the unrest or see activists as agitating security forces in a bid to sow instability ahead of legislative elections next week.
The elections would be the first since the revolt earlier this year, but are being held under the auspices of an ill-intentioned military council that seized power after Mubarak, critics say.
“Who are these people, what do they want? They are thieves and thugs,” said 35-year-old Mohammed Anta, the owner of a women’s clothes shop right on the square, of a group of youth who had turned the area in front of his store into a small Molotov cocktail-making factory. “We want the military to take control of this country for good.”
Much of the anti-Tahrir sentiment is dredged up by government-run television and radio, where regime-dictated news anchors tell listeners that those fighting police in Tahrir are the tools of foreign agents and thugs bent on destroying Egypt.
But some of the resentment and exasperation with the activists is the result of genuinely destroyed livelihoods for those living and running businesses in downtown Cairo.
Sixty-three flights to and from Egypt were canceled since Friday due to the violence, Egyptian daily Al-Masry Al-Youm, quoting a source at Cairo International Airport, reported Monday.
According to figures published by Egypt’s Central Bank in October, the country lost one-third of its foreign currency reserves since the beginning of the year due to political unrest.
On Sunday night, residents of an apartment building facing Mohamed Mahmoud — a key boulevard leading from Tahrir to the Ministry of Interior and now the primary battlefront — were so fed up with the noise and violence that they tossed a table out the window onto protesters on the ground below.
Elsewhere, security guards and doormen locked building doors to keep away “the protesters that act like thugs,” one downtown doorman said.
“I am praying to God that the protesters will leave,” said 52-year-old Mahmoud Mustafa, whose family has owned a small coffee shop in downtown Cairo since 1952. “Business is so slow and I am working less than half a day. SCAF [Supreme Council of Armed Forces, Egypt’s military council] does not want to rule in such a tough way. It wants to keep this country running.”
But for all of those upset with or dismissive of the protesters, there are also those incensed by the police brutality — and who had been streaming into the square in greater numbers each day.
The main catalyst for the recent tumult occurred on Saturday, when riot police charged the square lobbing tear gas in a bid to evict protesters staging a sit-in from an anti-SCAF rally the day before.
Protesters flooded the square and with each perceived injustice at police or army hands — like when military police and security forces stormed the square Sunday night, and were broadcast beating the unconscious and the wounded — demonstrators were emboldened and many citizens disgusted.
“It is not the police’s right to kill the protesters, and the protesters should fight back,” said downtown kiosk owner Mahmoud Ramadan, 32. His kiosk, where he sells chips, cookies and tissues, was tipped over and damaged when protesters fled the military on Sunday — but says he does not blame them. He said they do not loot and that they know what structure they want to damage: the Ministry of Interior.
“My shop was damaged, but it does not make me angry,” Ramadan said. “It was worth it, for freedom. God will compensate me.”
Ali Abu Zeit, 37-year-old owner of a small shop selling imitation Nike and Adidas sneakers, also had his property damaged in the unrest that pushed protesters onto his street.
“Everyone on this street is suffering financially, and it affects me as a business-owner,” he said. “But this is not the issue. It is their right to protest and SCAF should give up their power. This problem is greater than my store.”
CAIRO, Egypt — It is a conspicuously quiet morning in the upscale Cairo hamlet of Zamalek, perched on a breezy island in the Nile River where the city’s well-heeled young sip expensive designer lattes at global coffee-shop chains.
For many of the wealthy residents here, the violence at Cairo’s Tahrir Square, where thousands of anti-government protesters have squared off in deadly battles with police forces for four days, could not be further away.
It is a surreal and in some ways uncomfortable reality for both demonstrators and observers to encounter: While several streets in downtown Cairo have transformed into a veritable battlefield, with volleys of potent tear gas, gunfire and Molotov cocktails puncturing daily life and leaving at least 30 protesters dead, the majority of this 20 million-strong city is going about its business as usual.
"We need to make ends meet, we need to support our families,” said 39-year-old Hisham Mohammed, a cashier at a small cafe perilously close to the frontline but that still served more than a dozen customers at a time yesterday. Mohammed was sporting a surgical mask while he worked to stave off the effects of tear gas inhalation.
“But I am with the people,” he said. “I am not with the police or army.”
Some of the normalcy is wrought of financial necessity or apathy, but some is also due to genuine opposition to protesters’ motives and tactics as they clamor to fell the military-run government.
Activists are calling for a complete end to military rule in favor of a civilian government, and a clear timetable for presidential elections.
At the heart of the protests in Tahrir, also the focal point of the 18-day uprising that ousted decades-long president, Hosni Mubarak, in February, some Egyptians are tired of the unrest or see activists as agitating security forces in a bid to sow instability ahead of legislative elections next week.
The elections would be the first since the revolt earlier this year, but are being held under the auspices of an ill-intentioned military council that seized power after Mubarak, critics say.
“Who are these people, what do they want? They are thieves and thugs,” said 35-year-old Mohammed Anta, the owner of a women’s clothes shop right on the square, of a group of youth who had turned the area in front of his store into a small Molotov cocktail-making factory. “We want the military to take control of this country for good.”
Much of the anti-Tahrir sentiment is dredged up by government-run television and radio, where regime-dictated news anchors tell listeners that those fighting police in Tahrir are the tools of foreign agents and thugs bent on destroying Egypt.
But some of the resentment and exasperation with the activists is the result of genuinely destroyed livelihoods for those living and running businesses in downtown Cairo.
Sixty-three flights to and from Egypt were canceled since Friday due to the violence, Egyptian daily Al-Masry Al-Youm, quoting a source at Cairo International Airport, reported Monday.
According to figures published by Egypt’s Central Bank in October, the country lost one-third of its foreign currency reserves since the beginning of the year due to political unrest.
On Sunday night, residents of an apartment building facing Mohamed Mahmoud — a key boulevard leading from Tahrir to the Ministry of Interior and now the primary battlefront — were so fed up with the noise and violence that they tossed a table out the window onto protesters on the ground below.
Elsewhere, security guards and doormen locked building doors to keep away “the protesters that act like thugs,” one downtown doorman said.
“I am praying to God that the protesters will leave,” said 52-year-old Mahmoud Mustafa, whose family has owned a small coffee shop in downtown Cairo since 1952. “Business is so slow and I am working less than half a day. SCAF [Supreme Council of Armed Forces, Egypt’s military council] does not want to rule in such a tough way. It wants to keep this country running.”
But for all of those upset with or dismissive of the protesters, there are also those incensed by the police brutality — and who had been streaming into the square in greater numbers each day.
The main catalyst for the recent tumult occurred on Saturday, when riot police charged the square lobbing tear gas in a bid to evict protesters staging a sit-in from an anti-SCAF rally the day before.
Protesters flooded the square and with each perceived injustice at police or army hands — like when military police and security forces stormed the square Sunday night, and were broadcast beating the unconscious and the wounded — demonstrators were emboldened and many citizens disgusted.
“It is not the police’s right to kill the protesters, and the protesters should fight back,” said downtown kiosk owner Mahmoud Ramadan, 32. His kiosk, where he sells chips, cookies and tissues, was tipped over and damaged when protesters fled the military on Sunday — but says he does not blame them. He said they do not loot and that they know what structure they want to damage: the Ministry of Interior.
“My shop was damaged, but it does not make me angry,” Ramadan said. “It was worth it, for freedom. God will compensate me.”
Ali Abu Zeit, 37-year-old owner of a small shop selling imitation Nike and Adidas sneakers, also had his property damaged in the unrest that pushed protesters onto his street.
“Everyone on this street is suffering financially, and it affects me as a business-owner,” he said. “But this is not the issue. It is their right to protest and SCAF should give up their power. This problem is greater than my store.”
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Straight from the US Government
This is the latest update from the US Embassy in Cairo, Egypt:
All U.S. citizens should avoid Tahrir Square and the immediate surrounding area. We also alert US citizens that there are restrictions on photographing military personnel and sites, bridges, and canals, including the Suez Canal. Egyptian authorities may broadly interpret these restrictions to include other potentially sensitive structures, such as embassies, public buildings with international associations, and some religious edifices. The Embassy has received reports of foreigners detained for photographing security forces and unfolding events in Cairo and other cities. U.S. citizens in Egypt are subject to Egyptian law. Foreign laws and legal systems may be vastly different from U.S. laws and legal systems, and criminal penalties may vary. U.S. citizens are reminded that a U.S. passport does not prevent arrest or prosecution of those who violate Egyptian law.
Three Americans have been detained for allegedly being a part of the protests in Tahrir Square. Specifically, for throwing Molotov cocktails.
An European Union diplomatic source based in Cairo stated that the rest of the city feels subdued but "normal." "Everybody is talking about it, but there are no reports of any kind of fighting elsewhere.
All U.S. citizens should avoid Tahrir Square and the immediate surrounding area. We also alert US citizens that there are restrictions on photographing military personnel and sites, bridges, and canals, including the Suez Canal. Egyptian authorities may broadly interpret these restrictions to include other potentially sensitive structures, such as embassies, public buildings with international associations, and some religious edifices. The Embassy has received reports of foreigners detained for photographing security forces and unfolding events in Cairo and other cities. U.S. citizens in Egypt are subject to Egyptian law. Foreign laws and legal systems may be vastly different from U.S. laws and legal systems, and criminal penalties may vary. U.S. citizens are reminded that a U.S. passport does not prevent arrest or prosecution of those who violate Egyptian law.
Three Americans have been detained for allegedly being a part of the protests in Tahrir Square. Specifically, for throwing Molotov cocktails.
An European Union diplomatic source based in Cairo stated that the rest of the city feels subdued but "normal." "Everybody is talking about it, but there are no reports of any kind of fighting elsewhere.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Perspective
Cairo is almost 83 square miles.
Buffalo is 40 square miles.
Manhattan is 22 square miles.
The area where the protests are taking place in Cairo is less than 2.0 square miles in area. The protests are ONLY in that area of Cairo. There are reports about how it's business as usual in the rest of the city. This is MUCH different from what occurred during the revolution.
The Western media makes it sound like the entire city is involved in the protests. That is not the case.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Recent protests
The situation is being closely monitored. The US is advising tourists to just stay away from areas of protests. These particular protests are only happening in one small area of Cairo (around Tahrir Square).
It is business as usual in the rest of Cairo and the country. All elementary/middle/high schools in Cairo are opened (except for those near Tahrir Square).
To put this in perspective, if we went to New York City this weekend, we would see no evidence of the OWS protests unless we went down to the financial district. The same holds true in Cairo.
The US expected protests leading up to the start of elections on 11/28. If the protests continue, the only thing that may be impacted on our trip would be the visit to the Egyptian Museum (which is near Tahrir Square). The rest of our itinerary doesn't put us anywhere near that area (or any area where there has EVER been any protests or disruptions).
In the meantime, please keep the Egyptian people, who continue to push for democratic change - even in the face of tear gas and brutality by the military - in your thoughts and prayers.
It is business as usual in the rest of Cairo and the country. All elementary/middle/high schools in Cairo are opened (except for those near Tahrir Square).
To put this in perspective, if we went to New York City this weekend, we would see no evidence of the OWS protests unless we went down to the financial district. The same holds true in Cairo.
The US expected protests leading up to the start of elections on 11/28. If the protests continue, the only thing that may be impacted on our trip would be the visit to the Egyptian Museum (which is near Tahrir Square). The rest of our itinerary doesn't put us anywhere near that area (or any area where there has EVER been any protests or disruptions).
In the meantime, please keep the Egyptian people, who continue to push for democratic change - even in the face of tear gas and brutality by the military - in your thoughts and prayers.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Security, Stability Prevalent in the Country - Tourism Minister
http://allafrica.com/stories/201111111362.html
The security and stability are currently prevailing in Egypt, affirmed Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhri Abdel-Nour.
A high turnout of tourists to Egypt will be a sign of the world's support to democratic transition, human rights values and rule of law, Abdel-Nour said in a symposium organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in cooperation with the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Cairo.
The symposium is held as part of the World Travel Market's (WTM) proceedings, with the participation of Arab foreign ministers along with top travel operators and international media outlets.
The minister said, during the symposium tackling the future of tourism in the Middle East and North Africa, that each Egyptian citizen appreciates the importance of tourism to the country's economic development, according to a statement issued by Egypt's Tourism Ministry.
The world's major travel agencies expect the Egyptian tourist industry to have a good 2012, the statement quoted the minister as saying.
The security and stability are currently prevailing in Egypt, affirmed Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhri Abdel-Nour.
A high turnout of tourists to Egypt will be a sign of the world's support to democratic transition, human rights values and rule of law, Abdel-Nour said in a symposium organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in cooperation with the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Cairo.
The symposium is held as part of the World Travel Market's (WTM) proceedings, with the participation of Arab foreign ministers along with top travel operators and international media outlets.
The minister said, during the symposium tackling the future of tourism in the Middle East and North Africa, that each Egyptian citizen appreciates the importance of tourism to the country's economic development, according to a statement issued by Egypt's Tourism Ministry.
The world's major travel agencies expect the Egyptian tourist industry to have a good 2012, the statement quoted the minister as saying.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Arab nations aim to win back tourists
By Will Smale
Business reporter, BBC News, at the World Travel Market in London
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15651730
This year's Arab Spring has meant tough times for the tourism industry across North Africa and the Middle East.
With popular uprisings leading to regime change in Egypt and Tunisia, popular beach resorts such as Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh were left deserted in the early part of the year, as holiday companies evacuated European tourists.
And as Libya erupted into civil war, and anti-government protests in Syria continue to be violently put down, Europe's holidaymakers have, perhaps understandably, been less willing to visit the wider region.
Add April's bomb attack on a cafe in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh that killed 15 people, the continuing reports of sectarian violence in Egypt, and the protests in Bahrain, 2011 has been challenging for the tourism sector across North Africa and the Middle East.
Yet as 2011 draws to a close, the region's tourism bosses are confident that things are returning to normal - helped no doubt by price cuts in the second half of the year to encourage travelers to return.
Gathering in London this week at the giant World Travel Market exhibition for tourism industry movers and shakers from around the globe, the region's heads of tourism point to the democratic elections in Egypt and Tunisia, and the end to the Gaddafi regime in Libya.
All expect numbers of overseas tourists to rise again in 2012.
'Difficult year'
In Tunisia the tourism sector is a key component of the country's economy, employing 400,000 people and worth about $2.5bn (£1.5bn) to the country's GDP in a normal year.
Moncef Battikh, a senior executive at the Tunisian National Tourist Office, admits that the number of overseas tourists visiting the country has fallen 45% this year.
He says: "It has been a difficult year, but we are very proud to say that over 150,000 tourists were in the country at the time of the revolution, and not one was harmed.
"In our culture, a visitor is a guest first of all, and if paying even better, so no tourist was ever going to be harmed.
"Now we are a democratic country that had held free, peaceful elections, and a coalition government is being formed."
Mr Battikh adds that visitor numbers have already started to recover, and more importantly that the UK's largest two travel companies, TUI and Thomas Cook, have both increased their Tunisian capacity for 2012.
"Tunisia is a peaceful, welcoming country, and now we are a democracy."
He says there is no issue that the Islamic political party Ennahda won the most seats in the recent election, highlighting that it is a moderate organisation, and reiterating that the forthcoming government will be a coalition.
'Media exaggeration'
In Egypt, the ruling military council has set 28 November as the date for general elections to begin.
The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party is tipped by many to win the most seats, raising concerns that this could exacerbate recent sectarian violence in a country where about nine million people or 10% of the population are Christian.
Mohamed Yousef, chief executive of Egyptian tour company Ramasside Travel, says talk of sectarian strife between the Muslim majority and Christian minority has been exaggerated by the Western media.
"If two men in Egypt have a row about something, and it is discovered that one of them is a Christian, then suddenly it is wrongly reported as a religious dispute that gets widespread coverage in the West," he says.
"The reality is that visiting Egypt is very safe. For example, I feel far more unease walking around parts of London than I do in Cairo.
"And it is important to say that not one tourist in Egypt at the time of the revolution suffered even a scratch on his hand, and the main tourist resorts such as Sharm [el-Sheikh] were completely unaffected."
As well as Egypt being perfectly safe for Western tourists, he says they should return to see the new democracy.
"People should come and see the new Egypt, we are free now, people should encourage us," he says.
"And tourists are already returning. Egypt had 15 million [overseas] visitors last year, and will have at least 10 million in 2011."
Libyan boom?
While the Gulf state of Bahrain is not a typical destination for Western tourists, February's violent crackdown against pro-democracy demonstrations led by the Shia majority has done little for the global image of the ruling Sunni monarchy.
Tourists in Sidi Bou Said, Syria, last month Tourist numbers in Tunisia are recovering
Yet Bahrain has a stand at World Travel Market at the ExCel exhibition centre, and officials from the country's tourism office were putting on a friendly, if nervous, face.
They were also happy to speak to journalists - as long as they didn't have to answer any questions about the political situation.
So instead of fielding questions about how Bahrain can repair its reputation, Hesham Alsaken, head of public relations at the country's Ministry of Culture, was keen to highlight the country's "beautiful beaches, clear seas, historical old forts".
But at least Bahrain was there to face the music - Syria's tourist board had unsurprisingly decided to take the year off.
Libya was also not present, but commentators predict that its tourism sector could grow spectacularly if the country is successful in turning itself into a stable and peaceful democracy.
Travel industry expert Mike Bugsgang of Bugsgang & Associates, says: "Libya has hundreds of miles of Meditteranian beaches, beautiful weather and wealth of ancient ruins.
"And it is just a short flight from Europe. The potential for its tourism industry, as yet almost completely undeveloped, is vast."
'Real stability'
Morocco, long a favourite destination for many European holidaymakers, was relatively unaffected by the Arab Spring.
Abdelhamid Addou, general director of the Moroccan National Tourist Office Abdelhamid Addou expects the Moroccan tourist industry to have a good 2012
While there were a number of street protests, they were much smaller in scale than those in Tunisia and Egypt, and Morocco's king moved quickly to extend political reform.
King Mohammed VI unveiled plans for constitutional reform to strengthen democratic institutions and protect human rights, which in July were almost unanimously backed in a referendum.
As a result, the general director of the Moroccan National Tourist Office, Abdelhamid Addou, says visitor numbers to Morocco have actually risen this year.
"Between January and September we had 3% more overseas visitors [than a year earlier], rising to 8% more from the UK," he says.
"This compares with falls of between 30% and 40% in other North African countries.
"This highlights the real stability in the country, and the continuing popularity of Morocco as a destination for European holidaymakers, the strength of our brand."
Mr Addou adds that he expects the Moroccan tourist industry to have a strong 2012, but that he is concerned about the weakness in the European economy.
"These are tough times economically in Europe, but Morocco is just a short flight away, this is a big help," he says.
"If Europeans cut back on their holidays, I expect it to mostly affected long-haul destinations."
Across North Africa and the Middle East as whole, Mike Bugsgang expects tourist numbers to continue to slowly recover in 2012.
"Visitor numbers to the region are already recovering, but it obviously depends on the political reforms being successful if this is to continue," he says.
"This is particularly true for the cruise sector as the operators have to plan their routes and ports of call two years ahead. But I know that some of the main players, such as Fred Olsen are very keen to return to countries such as Egypt."
Business reporter, BBC News, at the World Travel Market in London
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15651730
This year's Arab Spring has meant tough times for the tourism industry across North Africa and the Middle East.
With popular uprisings leading to regime change in Egypt and Tunisia, popular beach resorts such as Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh were left deserted in the early part of the year, as holiday companies evacuated European tourists.
And as Libya erupted into civil war, and anti-government protests in Syria continue to be violently put down, Europe's holidaymakers have, perhaps understandably, been less willing to visit the wider region.
Add April's bomb attack on a cafe in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh that killed 15 people, the continuing reports of sectarian violence in Egypt, and the protests in Bahrain, 2011 has been challenging for the tourism sector across North Africa and the Middle East.
Yet as 2011 draws to a close, the region's tourism bosses are confident that things are returning to normal - helped no doubt by price cuts in the second half of the year to encourage travelers to return.
Gathering in London this week at the giant World Travel Market exhibition for tourism industry movers and shakers from around the globe, the region's heads of tourism point to the democratic elections in Egypt and Tunisia, and the end to the Gaddafi regime in Libya.
All expect numbers of overseas tourists to rise again in 2012.
'Difficult year'
In Tunisia the tourism sector is a key component of the country's economy, employing 400,000 people and worth about $2.5bn (£1.5bn) to the country's GDP in a normal year.
Moncef Battikh, a senior executive at the Tunisian National Tourist Office, admits that the number of overseas tourists visiting the country has fallen 45% this year.
He says: "It has been a difficult year, but we are very proud to say that over 150,000 tourists were in the country at the time of the revolution, and not one was harmed.
"In our culture, a visitor is a guest first of all, and if paying even better, so no tourist was ever going to be harmed.
"Now we are a democratic country that had held free, peaceful elections, and a coalition government is being formed."
Mr Battikh adds that visitor numbers have already started to recover, and more importantly that the UK's largest two travel companies, TUI and Thomas Cook, have both increased their Tunisian capacity for 2012.
"Tunisia is a peaceful, welcoming country, and now we are a democracy."
He says there is no issue that the Islamic political party Ennahda won the most seats in the recent election, highlighting that it is a moderate organisation, and reiterating that the forthcoming government will be a coalition.
'Media exaggeration'
In Egypt, the ruling military council has set 28 November as the date for general elections to begin.
The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party is tipped by many to win the most seats, raising concerns that this could exacerbate recent sectarian violence in a country where about nine million people or 10% of the population are Christian.
Mohamed Yousef, chief executive of Egyptian tour company Ramasside Travel, says talk of sectarian strife between the Muslim majority and Christian minority has been exaggerated by the Western media.
"If two men in Egypt have a row about something, and it is discovered that one of them is a Christian, then suddenly it is wrongly reported as a religious dispute that gets widespread coverage in the West," he says.
"The reality is that visiting Egypt is very safe. For example, I feel far more unease walking around parts of London than I do in Cairo.
"And it is important to say that not one tourist in Egypt at the time of the revolution suffered even a scratch on his hand, and the main tourist resorts such as Sharm [el-Sheikh] were completely unaffected."
As well as Egypt being perfectly safe for Western tourists, he says they should return to see the new democracy.
"People should come and see the new Egypt, we are free now, people should encourage us," he says.
"And tourists are already returning. Egypt had 15 million [overseas] visitors last year, and will have at least 10 million in 2011."
Libyan boom?
While the Gulf state of Bahrain is not a typical destination for Western tourists, February's violent crackdown against pro-democracy demonstrations led by the Shia majority has done little for the global image of the ruling Sunni monarchy.
Tourists in Sidi Bou Said, Syria, last month Tourist numbers in Tunisia are recovering
Yet Bahrain has a stand at World Travel Market at the ExCel exhibition centre, and officials from the country's tourism office were putting on a friendly, if nervous, face.
They were also happy to speak to journalists - as long as they didn't have to answer any questions about the political situation.
So instead of fielding questions about how Bahrain can repair its reputation, Hesham Alsaken, head of public relations at the country's Ministry of Culture, was keen to highlight the country's "beautiful beaches, clear seas, historical old forts".
But at least Bahrain was there to face the music - Syria's tourist board had unsurprisingly decided to take the year off.
Libya was also not present, but commentators predict that its tourism sector could grow spectacularly if the country is successful in turning itself into a stable and peaceful democracy.
Travel industry expert Mike Bugsgang of Bugsgang & Associates, says: "Libya has hundreds of miles of Meditteranian beaches, beautiful weather and wealth of ancient ruins.
"And it is just a short flight from Europe. The potential for its tourism industry, as yet almost completely undeveloped, is vast."
'Real stability'
Morocco, long a favourite destination for many European holidaymakers, was relatively unaffected by the Arab Spring.
Abdelhamid Addou, general director of the Moroccan National Tourist Office Abdelhamid Addou expects the Moroccan tourist industry to have a good 2012
While there were a number of street protests, they were much smaller in scale than those in Tunisia and Egypt, and Morocco's king moved quickly to extend political reform.
King Mohammed VI unveiled plans for constitutional reform to strengthen democratic institutions and protect human rights, which in July were almost unanimously backed in a referendum.
As a result, the general director of the Moroccan National Tourist Office, Abdelhamid Addou, says visitor numbers to Morocco have actually risen this year.
"Between January and September we had 3% more overseas visitors [than a year earlier], rising to 8% more from the UK," he says.
"This compares with falls of between 30% and 40% in other North African countries.
"This highlights the real stability in the country, and the continuing popularity of Morocco as a destination for European holidaymakers, the strength of our brand."
Mr Addou adds that he expects the Moroccan tourist industry to have a strong 2012, but that he is concerned about the weakness in the European economy.
"These are tough times economically in Europe, but Morocco is just a short flight away, this is a big help," he says.
"If Europeans cut back on their holidays, I expect it to mostly affected long-haul destinations."
Across North Africa and the Middle East as whole, Mike Bugsgang expects tourist numbers to continue to slowly recover in 2012.
"Visitor numbers to the region are already recovering, but it obviously depends on the political reforms being successful if this is to continue," he says.
"This is particularly true for the cruise sector as the operators have to plan their routes and ports of call two years ahead. But I know that some of the main players, such as Fred Olsen are very keen to return to countries such as Egypt."
Egypt, Tunisia Make Bid to Bring Back Tourists
Written by David Rosenberg
Published Thursday, November 10, 2011
http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=33678
Marketing focuses on celebrities, social media; just don’t mention the revolution
Against heavy odds, Egypt and Tunisia are trying to woo back tourists with campaigns making use of the social media, celebrities, new slogans and a dose of image re-branding.
Both countries, whose travel industries were pummeled by Arab Spring unrest, are using London’s World Travel Market conference, an annual gathering of thousands of travel professionals, to make a pitch to the industry this week. But they face an uphill effort as the smoke of revolution hasn’t quite dissipated and Europe, a key source of tourists, looks to be slipping into recession.
“Tunisia and Egypt started to reinvent themselves in a new democratic era with a successful transition in place,” Euromonitor International said in a report this week. “Selling new democracies will appeal to those feeling a renewed sense of Arabism.”
Nevertheless, Caroline Bremner, head of the consulting firm’s travel and tourism research, forecast that tourist arrivals to Egypt will fall 3% a year on a compounded basis between 2010 and 2015. Tunisia’s will drop 1% as the two “struggle to maintain safety and stability.”
Both countries badly need to bring back tourists if they are going to revive their moribund economies. Tunisia’s tourism sector employs 400,000 people and is worth about $2.5 billion in a normal year, but the National Tourist Office estimates arrivals have fallen 45% this year.
Egypt, which counts on tourism for about 15% of its gross domestic product and of employment, saw industry revenue plummet by fourth fifths in the last holiday season, Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour said last month. The government expects tourism revenue to fall to $10 billion this year from $12.5 billion in 2010.
“Tourism can help build up these countries’ new democracies and has the potential to do so across all the Arab Spring countries,” WTM Chairwoman Fiona Jeffery said. “The speed at which the marketing campaigns have been launched demonstrates the importance the new democracies in Egypt and Tunisia have put on inbound tourism for their long-term economic future.”
Revolution is both a selling point and an obstacle to luring tourists. In the months after their dictators ousted – Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali last January and Egypt’s Husni Mubarak a month later – the two countries hoped the transition to democracy would make them more attractive.
Egypt devised come-ons like “Welcome to the country of peaceful revolution” and “Tahrir - a square rocks the world,” a reference to the place where mass protests occurred. Tunisia had “They say that in Tunisia, some people receive heavy-handed treatment” above a picture of a woman enjoying a massage.
But revolution appears to be out now as the two countries wrestle the uncomfortable aftershocks of the unrest. In Egypt, 28 people were killed a month ago at a Cairo demonstration, crime in the streets is rampant and sectarian violence erupts periodically. In Tunisia, the Islamic Ennahda Party led in elections for a constituent assembly amid charges that it wants to ban two tourism-industry mainstays – skimpy swimwear on women and alcohol.
This week Egyptian Tourism Authority unveiled a new slogan, “We're Egypt” accompanied by the message: “We are friendly, we are open-minded, we are proud of our country, we are Egypt, see you soon in Egypt.”
Tunisian Tourism Minister Mehdi Haouas said at the WTM conference that he opposes using the revolution as a marketing tool. “The revolution was ours and we don’t want to sell it. It helped us and helped other countries, but it’s not something you can theme up,” he told London’s Telegraph newspaper.
With Islamists coming to power, that might explain another aspect of Tunisia’s new orientation – away from emphasizing sun-and-fun holidays in bikinis and stressing instead the country’s historic sites, which can be enjoyed fully dressed and sober.
The Euromonitor report said Egypt and Tunisia are the only two Arab Spring countries to have “strong” rebranding potential, but it also forecast a 6.2% decline in tourist arrivals to the Middle East this year. Next year will only experience a modest 1.3% increase, which means the industry will still be trying to claw back to pre-Arab Spring levels for some time to come.
Meanwhile, Middle East countries that have been spared violence and revolution are attracting a bigger share of the shrinking market.
Turkey reported that an estimated 1.2 million French tourists – a key source of tourists for Tunisia – traveled to country from January to September, a 45% leap from the same time in 2010. Meanwhile, an estimated 1.4 million Arabs visited as well, a jump from about 912,000 in 2009. In Dubai, hotels hosted 6.64 million guests in the first nine months of the year, an increase of 11% from the same time in 2010, according to the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing.
One way, they hope to separate themselves from the pack and send the message that all is safe and well is to invite celebrities and have them photographed in front of top attractions. Egypt is way ahead on this, hosting American actor Sean Penn in October for sightseeing at the Egyptian Museum, the Giza Pyramids and Tahrir Square.
Tunisia’s Haouas publicly invited Prince William, the second in line to the British throne, and his wife to visit as well as some as yet unnamed French celebrities. He suggested singer Elton John as another candidate.
But if it lags on celebrity appearances, Tunisia is in the forefront of social media marketing. Its National Tourist Office has launched official Facebook and Twitter pages that showcase the country’s beaches and golf courses and tout the benefits of thalassotherapy (seawater) therapy. Visitors can upload videos and pictures to share information and experiences in a campaign highlighted by WTM as a case study.
“By investing in our online presence, we will be able to reach out to travelers in a very modern and open way, an approach that would not have been possible before the revolution.” said Anissa Ramoundi, UK and Ireland director of the Tunisian National Tourist Office.
Published Thursday, November 10, 2011
http://www.themedialine.org/news/news_detail.asp?NewsID=33678
Marketing focuses on celebrities, social media; just don’t mention the revolution
Against heavy odds, Egypt and Tunisia are trying to woo back tourists with campaigns making use of the social media, celebrities, new slogans and a dose of image re-branding.
Both countries, whose travel industries were pummeled by Arab Spring unrest, are using London’s World Travel Market conference, an annual gathering of thousands of travel professionals, to make a pitch to the industry this week. But they face an uphill effort as the smoke of revolution hasn’t quite dissipated and Europe, a key source of tourists, looks to be slipping into recession.
“Tunisia and Egypt started to reinvent themselves in a new democratic era with a successful transition in place,” Euromonitor International said in a report this week. “Selling new democracies will appeal to those feeling a renewed sense of Arabism.”
Nevertheless, Caroline Bremner, head of the consulting firm’s travel and tourism research, forecast that tourist arrivals to Egypt will fall 3% a year on a compounded basis between 2010 and 2015. Tunisia’s will drop 1% as the two “struggle to maintain safety and stability.”
Both countries badly need to bring back tourists if they are going to revive their moribund economies. Tunisia’s tourism sector employs 400,000 people and is worth about $2.5 billion in a normal year, but the National Tourist Office estimates arrivals have fallen 45% this year.
Egypt, which counts on tourism for about 15% of its gross domestic product and of employment, saw industry revenue plummet by fourth fifths in the last holiday season, Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour said last month. The government expects tourism revenue to fall to $10 billion this year from $12.5 billion in 2010.
“Tourism can help build up these countries’ new democracies and has the potential to do so across all the Arab Spring countries,” WTM Chairwoman Fiona Jeffery said. “The speed at which the marketing campaigns have been launched demonstrates the importance the new democracies in Egypt and Tunisia have put on inbound tourism for their long-term economic future.”
Revolution is both a selling point and an obstacle to luring tourists. In the months after their dictators ousted – Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali last January and Egypt’s Husni Mubarak a month later – the two countries hoped the transition to democracy would make them more attractive.
Egypt devised come-ons like “Welcome to the country of peaceful revolution” and “Tahrir - a square rocks the world,” a reference to the place where mass protests occurred. Tunisia had “They say that in Tunisia, some people receive heavy-handed treatment” above a picture of a woman enjoying a massage.
But revolution appears to be out now as the two countries wrestle the uncomfortable aftershocks of the unrest. In Egypt, 28 people were killed a month ago at a Cairo demonstration, crime in the streets is rampant and sectarian violence erupts periodically. In Tunisia, the Islamic Ennahda Party led in elections for a constituent assembly amid charges that it wants to ban two tourism-industry mainstays – skimpy swimwear on women and alcohol.
This week Egyptian Tourism Authority unveiled a new slogan, “We're Egypt” accompanied by the message: “We are friendly, we are open-minded, we are proud of our country, we are Egypt, see you soon in Egypt.”
Tunisian Tourism Minister Mehdi Haouas said at the WTM conference that he opposes using the revolution as a marketing tool. “The revolution was ours and we don’t want to sell it. It helped us and helped other countries, but it’s not something you can theme up,” he told London’s Telegraph newspaper.
With Islamists coming to power, that might explain another aspect of Tunisia’s new orientation – away from emphasizing sun-and-fun holidays in bikinis and stressing instead the country’s historic sites, which can be enjoyed fully dressed and sober.
The Euromonitor report said Egypt and Tunisia are the only two Arab Spring countries to have “strong” rebranding potential, but it also forecast a 6.2% decline in tourist arrivals to the Middle East this year. Next year will only experience a modest 1.3% increase, which means the industry will still be trying to claw back to pre-Arab Spring levels for some time to come.
Meanwhile, Middle East countries that have been spared violence and revolution are attracting a bigger share of the shrinking market.
Turkey reported that an estimated 1.2 million French tourists – a key source of tourists for Tunisia – traveled to country from January to September, a 45% leap from the same time in 2010. Meanwhile, an estimated 1.4 million Arabs visited as well, a jump from about 912,000 in 2009. In Dubai, hotels hosted 6.64 million guests in the first nine months of the year, an increase of 11% from the same time in 2010, according to the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing.
One way, they hope to separate themselves from the pack and send the message that all is safe and well is to invite celebrities and have them photographed in front of top attractions. Egypt is way ahead on this, hosting American actor Sean Penn in October for sightseeing at the Egyptian Museum, the Giza Pyramids and Tahrir Square.
Tunisia’s Haouas publicly invited Prince William, the second in line to the British throne, and his wife to visit as well as some as yet unnamed French celebrities. He suggested singer Elton John as another candidate.
But if it lags on celebrity appearances, Tunisia is in the forefront of social media marketing. Its National Tourist Office has launched official Facebook and Twitter pages that showcase the country’s beaches and golf courses and tout the benefits of thalassotherapy (seawater) therapy. Visitors can upload videos and pictures to share information and experiences in a campaign highlighted by WTM as a case study.
“By investing in our online presence, we will be able to reach out to travelers in a very modern and open way, an approach that would not have been possible before the revolution.” said Anissa Ramoundi, UK and Ireland director of the Tunisian National Tourist Office.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
100 days until Egypt!!!
Don't forget to get Mrs. Banas a copy of your passport information page by December 2, 2011!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Updated Egypt Travel Alert (NOT A TRAVEL WARNING)
The travel alert that was in effect since April 2011 has just been modified. The text of the alert is below. Basically, it just says that there will continue to be demonstrations and that we should avoid them while in Cairo. In a city that large, that will be easy to do. It also reaffirms that Luxor and Aswan continue to be calm.
Travel Alert
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Egypt
November 07, 2011
The U.S. Department of State alerts U.S. citizens traveling to or living in Egypt to the continuing possibility of sporadic unrest. A series of elections for the lower and upper houses of parliament is scheduled to take place from November 2011 through March 2012. Political rallies and demonstrations are likely to occur in the period leading up to and following the elections. In the past nine months, demonstrations have degenerated on occasion into violent clashes between police and protesters, in some instances resulting in deaths, injuries, and extensive property damage. U.S. citizens are urged to remain alert to local security developments and to be vigilant regarding their personal security. The security situation in most tourist centers, including Luxor, Aswan, and the Red Sea Resorts such as Sharm el Sheikh, continues to be calm. This Travel Alert supersedes the Travel Alert dated April 28, 2011 and updates information on the security situation and upcoming elections. This Travel Alert expires on April 1, 2012.
The U.S. Department of State strongly urges U.S. citizens to avoid all demonstrations in Egypt, as even peaceful ones can quickly become violent and a foreigner could become a target of harassment or worse. Should security forces block off the area around the U.S. Embassy during demonstrations, U.S. citizens should not attempt to come to the U.S. Embassy during that time. U.S. citizens are urged to remain alert to local security developments and to carry identification and, if moving about alone, a cell phone or other means of communication that works in Egypt.
The U.S. Embassy is open for all routine American Citizens’ Services by appointment. U.S. citizens needing emergency assistance do not need an appointment. Visit the Embassy website to check the latest changes to Embassy hours or services. U.S. citizens with routine phone inquiries may call the Embassy's American Citizens Services section at 2797-2301, Sunday to Thursday from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. For emergencies after business hours and on weekends and holidays, U.S. citizens can contact the Embassy Duty Officer via the Embassy switchboard on 2797-3300. The U.S. Embassy is closed on U.S. federal holidays. U.S. citizens in Egypt are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). By enrolling, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency.
For the latest security information, U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State’s Internet website at travel.state.gov where the Worldwide Caution, Country Specific Information for Egypt, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts can be found. Follow us on Twitter and the Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Facebook as well. Download our free Smart Traveler iPhone App to have travel information at your fingertips.
Up to date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
The U.S. Embassy in Egypt is located at 5 Tawfik Diab Street (formerly known as Latin America Street), Garden City, Cairo. For emergencies after business hours and on weekends and holidays, U.S. citizens can contact the Embassy Duty Officer via the Embassy switchboard on 2797-3300.
Travel Alert
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Egypt
November 07, 2011
The U.S. Department of State alerts U.S. citizens traveling to or living in Egypt to the continuing possibility of sporadic unrest. A series of elections for the lower and upper houses of parliament is scheduled to take place from November 2011 through March 2012. Political rallies and demonstrations are likely to occur in the period leading up to and following the elections. In the past nine months, demonstrations have degenerated on occasion into violent clashes between police and protesters, in some instances resulting in deaths, injuries, and extensive property damage. U.S. citizens are urged to remain alert to local security developments and to be vigilant regarding their personal security. The security situation in most tourist centers, including Luxor, Aswan, and the Red Sea Resorts such as Sharm el Sheikh, continues to be calm. This Travel Alert supersedes the Travel Alert dated April 28, 2011 and updates information on the security situation and upcoming elections. This Travel Alert expires on April 1, 2012.
The U.S. Department of State strongly urges U.S. citizens to avoid all demonstrations in Egypt, as even peaceful ones can quickly become violent and a foreigner could become a target of harassment or worse. Should security forces block off the area around the U.S. Embassy during demonstrations, U.S. citizens should not attempt to come to the U.S. Embassy during that time. U.S. citizens are urged to remain alert to local security developments and to carry identification and, if moving about alone, a cell phone or other means of communication that works in Egypt.
The U.S. Embassy is open for all routine American Citizens’ Services by appointment. U.S. citizens needing emergency assistance do not need an appointment. Visit the Embassy website to check the latest changes to Embassy hours or services. U.S. citizens with routine phone inquiries may call the Embassy's American Citizens Services section at 2797-2301, Sunday to Thursday from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. For emergencies after business hours and on weekends and holidays, U.S. citizens can contact the Embassy Duty Officer via the Embassy switchboard on 2797-3300. The U.S. Embassy is closed on U.S. federal holidays. U.S. citizens in Egypt are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). By enrolling, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency.
For the latest security information, U.S. citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State’s Internet website at travel.state.gov where the Worldwide Caution, Country Specific Information for Egypt, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts can be found. Follow us on Twitter and the Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Facebook as well. Download our free Smart Traveler iPhone App to have travel information at your fingertips.
Up to date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
The U.S. Embassy in Egypt is located at 5 Tawfik Diab Street (formerly known as Latin America Street), Garden City, Cairo. For emergencies after business hours and on weekends and holidays, U.S. citizens can contact the Embassy Duty Officer via the Embassy switchboard on 2797-3300.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Female American Journalist travels to Egypt
Citizen Journalism Is Booming In Egypt and The Middle East
by Mandy Jenkins, Social News Editor, Huffington Post
Posted: 11/4/11 10:58 AM ET
"American? You are welcome here."
I must have heard that three dozen times during my visit to Cairo, Egypt last week. Every Egyptian I met made it a point to let me know I was safe in their country.
Egypt is, after all, in something of a PR crisis following a revolution this past spring and regular demonstrations ever since. For a country that relies so heavily on tourism, foreigners' continued fears are directly affecting many residents, from the guys hustling camel rides at Giza's pyramids to the restaurants and hotels that are usually bustling with Western tourists.
Many people told me, "Go home, tell Americans it is safe here."
So there you go. I can at least vouch for myself and say I never felt in danger (except for when I took Cairo cabs - talk about a rush!).
My tour guide lamented the notably smaller number of tour buses lined up in front of the Sphinx and Great Pyramids. She told me the numbers had been down all year, but she was really hoping they'd pick up in the fall, usually a very busy season.
Though tourism may be down, another industry (if you'd want to call it that) is thriving all over post-revolution Arab World: Citizen journalism.
Many online news outlets have launched or grown after the dust has started to settle following the Arab Spring. MediaShift describes the citizen journalism landscape as three-tiered: Independent bloggers; joint initiatives from citizen journalists; and larger citizen journalism platforms such as Global Voices and Menassat.com.
Citizen journalism has a long history in Egypt , in particular. Since the early 2000s, bloggers and activists were chronicling complaints and demonstrations against then-President Hosni Mubarak outside the purview of the mainstream media.
While the news availability may be spreading, but there are still dire consequences for citizen journalists (and professional journalists) for writing negative posts about the wrong parties.
In March, Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad was arrested for criticizing the Egyptian military's role in the revolution. He was sentenced to three years in prison for libel. Human Rights Watch called his arrest "the worst strike against free expression in Egypt" in more than three years.
On Monday, activist and blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah was arrested for speaking out against the military junta's role in violence that erupted at an Oct. 9 Coptic Christian protest in Cairo.
Despite the dangers of doing civic journalism in a time of such upheaval, I had an opportunity to work with some Arab journalists who are doing just that all over the Middle East. I was actually visiting Egypt as an instructor with the International Center for Journalists, helping to guide a selected group of journalists working on investigations of civic issues in their home communities.
Some in this group were documenting cases of staggering government corruption. As part of their coverage plans, each had to consider how to best protect themselves - and the citizens they'll be working with - from the imprisonment (or worse) that could result from such reporting. It was quite sobering for this American journalist to see what others are willing to risk for the truth.
While the consequences may not be as frightening, citizen and independent journalists in the U.S. also play a key role in exposing and reporting either ignored or unknown happenings in their communities.
This is what we're trying to help facilitate through OfftheBus, The Huffington Posts's citizen journalism program covering the 2012 election process. We're recruiting an army of volunteers to help make sure our elections are honest, fair and open.
For some, this means reporting stories we at the national level may be missing, as OfftheBus contributor Alex Brant-Zawadzki did when he was first to report on the raffle of a Glock pistol by a Republican organization in the home district of Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who had been shot by the same kind of gun earlier this year. The story was eventually picked up by news outlets all over the U.S.
Even those who wouldn't consider themselves reporters have a role to play in holding the nation's candidates and campaigns accountable. Our reporters can't be everywhere at once, so keep your eyes and ears open for suspicious tactics, messages and outreach efforts - and let us know what's going on.
One of the ICFJ program participants I met in Egypt, Ali Ghamloush, is leading a citizen journalism effort in Beirut, Lebanon. He co-founded AltCity, a social venture aimed at expanding access to tools, resources and spaces for independent publishers, activists and tech entrepreneurs.
Ali told me about a sort of newsroom-on-wheels that AltCity takes to more remote areas of Lebanon, giving basic training and computer access to citizens eager to tell their own stories.
His program got me thinking about how we at OfftheBus could be providing more resources to people right here in the U.S. who want to have a role in civic reporting. We might not have a bus to take to your town (but it'd be pretty cool if we did), but we do have the wide reach of The Huffington Post to help citizen journalists report, edit and publish their work for a potentially huge audience. Please, email us and let us know what more we can do to help you share your own stories.
Check out the ongoing work of OfftheBus citizen journalists on the 2012 elections and Occupy Wall Street. We'll soon have more citizen journalism projects available, so sign up for our email list so we can let you know when they're starting up. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to read the latest work from our volunteers.
by Mandy Jenkins, Social News Editor, Huffington Post
Posted: 11/4/11 10:58 AM ET
"American? You are welcome here."
I must have heard that three dozen times during my visit to Cairo, Egypt last week. Every Egyptian I met made it a point to let me know I was safe in their country.
Egypt is, after all, in something of a PR crisis following a revolution this past spring and regular demonstrations ever since. For a country that relies so heavily on tourism, foreigners' continued fears are directly affecting many residents, from the guys hustling camel rides at Giza's pyramids to the restaurants and hotels that are usually bustling with Western tourists.
Many people told me, "Go home, tell Americans it is safe here."
So there you go. I can at least vouch for myself and say I never felt in danger (except for when I took Cairo cabs - talk about a rush!).
My tour guide lamented the notably smaller number of tour buses lined up in front of the Sphinx and Great Pyramids. She told me the numbers had been down all year, but she was really hoping they'd pick up in the fall, usually a very busy season.
Though tourism may be down, another industry (if you'd want to call it that) is thriving all over post-revolution Arab World: Citizen journalism.
Many online news outlets have launched or grown after the dust has started to settle following the Arab Spring. MediaShift describes the citizen journalism landscape as three-tiered: Independent bloggers; joint initiatives from citizen journalists; and larger citizen journalism platforms such as Global Voices and Menassat.com.
Citizen journalism has a long history in Egypt , in particular. Since the early 2000s, bloggers and activists were chronicling complaints and demonstrations against then-President Hosni Mubarak outside the purview of the mainstream media.
While the news availability may be spreading, but there are still dire consequences for citizen journalists (and professional journalists) for writing negative posts about the wrong parties.
In March, Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil Sanad was arrested for criticizing the Egyptian military's role in the revolution. He was sentenced to three years in prison for libel. Human Rights Watch called his arrest "the worst strike against free expression in Egypt" in more than three years.
On Monday, activist and blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah was arrested for speaking out against the military junta's role in violence that erupted at an Oct. 9 Coptic Christian protest in Cairo.
Despite the dangers of doing civic journalism in a time of such upheaval, I had an opportunity to work with some Arab journalists who are doing just that all over the Middle East. I was actually visiting Egypt as an instructor with the International Center for Journalists, helping to guide a selected group of journalists working on investigations of civic issues in their home communities.
Some in this group were documenting cases of staggering government corruption. As part of their coverage plans, each had to consider how to best protect themselves - and the citizens they'll be working with - from the imprisonment (or worse) that could result from such reporting. It was quite sobering for this American journalist to see what others are willing to risk for the truth.
While the consequences may not be as frightening, citizen and independent journalists in the U.S. also play a key role in exposing and reporting either ignored or unknown happenings in their communities.
This is what we're trying to help facilitate through OfftheBus, The Huffington Posts's citizen journalism program covering the 2012 election process. We're recruiting an army of volunteers to help make sure our elections are honest, fair and open.
For some, this means reporting stories we at the national level may be missing, as OfftheBus contributor Alex Brant-Zawadzki did when he was first to report on the raffle of a Glock pistol by a Republican organization in the home district of Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who had been shot by the same kind of gun earlier this year. The story was eventually picked up by news outlets all over the U.S.
Even those who wouldn't consider themselves reporters have a role to play in holding the nation's candidates and campaigns accountable. Our reporters can't be everywhere at once, so keep your eyes and ears open for suspicious tactics, messages and outreach efforts - and let us know what's going on.
One of the ICFJ program participants I met in Egypt, Ali Ghamloush, is leading a citizen journalism effort in Beirut, Lebanon. He co-founded AltCity, a social venture aimed at expanding access to tools, resources and spaces for independent publishers, activists and tech entrepreneurs.
Ali told me about a sort of newsroom-on-wheels that AltCity takes to more remote areas of Lebanon, giving basic training and computer access to citizens eager to tell their own stories.
His program got me thinking about how we at OfftheBus could be providing more resources to people right here in the U.S. who want to have a role in civic reporting. We might not have a bus to take to your town (but it'd be pretty cool if we did), but we do have the wide reach of The Huffington Post to help citizen journalists report, edit and publish their work for a potentially huge audience. Please, email us and let us know what more we can do to help you share your own stories.
Check out the ongoing work of OfftheBus citizen journalists on the 2012 elections and Occupy Wall Street. We'll soon have more citizen journalism projects available, so sign up for our email list so we can let you know when they're starting up. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to read the latest work from our volunteers.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Mother/daughter team travel to Egypt
Months after the revolution, few visitors have returned to Egypt
From Travel, Lifestyles on Saturday, October 29, 2011 6:00 am Egypt, Cairo, Tourism, Revolution, Hosni Mubarak
Author: LISA KRIEGER | San Jose Mercury News
Exploring Egypt months after a revolution rocked the Middle East, the only conflict we witnessed was between a taxi and carriage driver, furiously arguing over our business.
The sidewalk scene was unsettling to a pair of tourists simply seeking a ride down the street. But it was nothing compared to our pre-travel fears, fueled by media reports of violence. And it revealed a larger truth: In a nation so dependent on tourism, these are very tough times.
Curious to explore a nation in transition, my 22-year-old daughter and I discovered that Egypt's loss was our gain. The turmoil in January caused visitors to rush for the exits — and they've stayed away.
The ongoing trial of ousted president Hosni Mubarak, triggering clashes between supporters and detractors, won't fix things quickly. Rather, it is one step in a long process of building the new Egypt, with elections and constitutional reforms still ahead.
But the nation's Pharaonic treasures and pyramids are as stunning as ever. And there's a new tourist attraction: Cairo's Tahrir Square, where demonstrators gathered in anti-government protests.
Although not much to look at, it is a symbol of peaceful resistance, ringed by vendors doing a brisk trade in "25th January" T-shirts, flags, caps and bumper stickers. We also admired triumphant graffiti, marveled at Mubarak's burned-out headquarters of the National Democratic Party and toured an art display dedicated to the revolution.
Crowds are gone
It's not necessary to line up for hours, as was customary before the uprising, to enter the carved tombs in Luxor's Valley of the Kings. Instead, we experienced what English archaeologist Howard Carter must have felt in 1923, peering down lonely tunnels for that first glimpse of Tutankhamun's sarcophagus.
Riderless camels and horses ringed the empty sand-swept parking lots of the pyramids at Giza, where hundreds of tour guides, postcard sellers and trinket sellers also waited for customers. There was no jostling for snapshots of the Sphinx.
At the famed Egyptian Museum, about 200,000 people a day once paraded past dimly lit cabinets of antiquities. We were free to stroll around and linger at favorite sights. Along the Nile, many traditional falouka sailboats were roped to the docks.
Even the touristy Red Sea beach resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, far from Cairo's turbulence, offered deeply discounted rooms. So did the more charming smaller towns north to Jordan.
"It is very safe and very quiet here," said Ali Osman, front office manager of the stunning Coralia Club Hotel in the sleepy south Sinai Peninsula beach town of Dahab.
Like its next-door neighbors — the Meridian, Hilton and other upscale hotels — this elegant Sofitel hotel closed its doors during the upheaval in late January, rather than operate at a loss. In February, only 35 percent of rooms were filled.
"We drop our rates to keep reasonable occupancy," Osman said.
Our lovely oceanview room, with a delicious breakfast and dinner included, cost only $95. Yet the hotel was half empty.
As always, Russians are everywhere. Australians have begun to venture back, along with New Zealanders. We saw a scattering of French and Brits. But there were no signs of Americans.
One morning at dawn, I climbed aboard the small motorboat of naturalist Mohamed Arabi — "The Birdman of Aswan" — and had a personal introduction to exotic Nile species such as sunbirds, gallinules and storks.
"Because of all the American propaganda outside, only you, you're the only one here!" he despaired. "What kind of problems you see today? There is not any problem. There is no problem at all."
Safety concerns
Back home in California, while we packed for our trip, worried friends expressed concern for our safety. Family members questioned my parenting skills.
It is true that Egypt has no head of state. The civil police, symbols of Mubarak's repression, abruptly have withdrawn. Political unrest continues in neighboring nations. Thousands of troops have been moved into the Sinai Peninsula as part of a major operation against al-Qaida inspired militants, increasingly active there since Mubarak's ouster.
Violence does not appear to be targeting tourists, and of this I was sure: Opportunities don't wait for perfect timing. My daughter had just graduated from college and had an entire month free. My newspaper work covering higher education had slowed for the summer. Plus, we already had experienced other memorable adventures in edgy nations within Africa and Latin America.
So we went. Cautiously.
We steered clear of political gatherings in Cairo, particularly after the mosques emptied on Fridays. We were careful to dress conservatively, to avoid walking alone or venturing into the poorest neighborhoods or looking strange men directly in the eye.
The U.S. Embassy has received increasing reports during the past several months of foreign women being harassed, or groped in taxis and in public places. We encountered no threats — just frequent catcalls that grew annoying, like mosquitoes.
"Tourist police" were everywhere; in exchange for help, they asked for spare change. But when hounded, it's permissible to be loud and offensive, saying "Bas!" ("Stop!"). When confronted, no one wished to make a scene.
Traffic jams have intensified since the departure of the police, creating chaotic streets in Cairo. We found it faster to walk, or take the subway. But we experienced no pickpocketing or property crime, so common elsewhere in the world.
Country needs tourists
Perhaps because Egypt is so dependent on tourism, it seems to take the safety of visitors seriously. Anti-U.S. anger was targeted toward American politicians, not average citizens — an important distinction. And while locals anxiously wanted to discuss politics, we avoided debates involving Israel.
The biggest nuisance was the vendors, desperately trying to sell their wares. Who could blame them? Tourism is the lifeblood for this country of more than 85 million people.
Egyptians hoped that the overthrow of Mubarak would improve their lives, but many in the tourism industry are economically worse off than before the revolution. After January's uprising, revenues from tourism collapsed, putting pressure on the balance of payments and starting a slide in foreign reserves, according to a recent analysis by the Economist.
Immediately following Mubarak's ouster, hopes were high; now restless young men who lost their hotel or taxi jobs sit around cafes, with cellphones in hand, waiting for any odd work. Unemployment is highest among 15- to-20-year-olds.
"Before, I made money and could feed my horses and family. We were busy all day, going here, going there. I had two people working for me," said one man seeking to sell horseback rides to tourists along a Dahab beach. "Now look, there are only 30 or 50 people on the beach — for three hotels! I am scared."
Egypt's economic growth is expected to slow to just 1 percent this year, a sharp drop from a 5.5 percent rate in the second half of 2010, according to a report in April by the International Monetary Fund. The drop in tourist revenue is a big part of the problem; only ship traffic through the Suez Canal brings in more money.
"It's not just the hotels, but all the workmen related to the hotel — the maintenance people, the electricians, the plumbers ..." said Hanan Attiatallah, a German-educated woman who owns Aswan's lovely and newly renovated Philae Hotel.
If the economy improves, it could help consolidate democracy; if it falters, it could undermine progress. In our own modest way, we were happy to help and witness, with few other tourists, both the old and newly emerging Egypt.
"This is the moment for everyone who wishes the Egyptian revolution well to visit," Egyptian novelist and political commentator Ahdaf Soueif recently wrote in the London Guardian. "Everyone who's interested in the great experiment we're living through should come and be part of it."
"It will settle down," Attiatallah predicted. "But for now, guests who like to take this adventure, they should come here now."
IF YOU GO: Find the latest security alerts about Egypt at travel.state.gov. A passport and visa are required for entry. Tourists can obtain a renewable 30-day tourist visa on arrival at an Egyptian airport for a $15 fee, payable in U.S. dollars. Egypt's official tourism website is egypt.travel.
Copyright 2011 madison.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
From Travel, Lifestyles on Saturday, October 29, 2011 6:00 am Egypt, Cairo, Tourism, Revolution, Hosni Mubarak
Author: LISA KRIEGER | San Jose Mercury News
Exploring Egypt months after a revolution rocked the Middle East, the only conflict we witnessed was between a taxi and carriage driver, furiously arguing over our business.
The sidewalk scene was unsettling to a pair of tourists simply seeking a ride down the street. But it was nothing compared to our pre-travel fears, fueled by media reports of violence. And it revealed a larger truth: In a nation so dependent on tourism, these are very tough times.
Curious to explore a nation in transition, my 22-year-old daughter and I discovered that Egypt's loss was our gain. The turmoil in January caused visitors to rush for the exits — and they've stayed away.
The ongoing trial of ousted president Hosni Mubarak, triggering clashes between supporters and detractors, won't fix things quickly. Rather, it is one step in a long process of building the new Egypt, with elections and constitutional reforms still ahead.
But the nation's Pharaonic treasures and pyramids are as stunning as ever. And there's a new tourist attraction: Cairo's Tahrir Square, where demonstrators gathered in anti-government protests.
Although not much to look at, it is a symbol of peaceful resistance, ringed by vendors doing a brisk trade in "25th January" T-shirts, flags, caps and bumper stickers. We also admired triumphant graffiti, marveled at Mubarak's burned-out headquarters of the National Democratic Party and toured an art display dedicated to the revolution.
Crowds are gone
It's not necessary to line up for hours, as was customary before the uprising, to enter the carved tombs in Luxor's Valley of the Kings. Instead, we experienced what English archaeologist Howard Carter must have felt in 1923, peering down lonely tunnels for that first glimpse of Tutankhamun's sarcophagus.
Riderless camels and horses ringed the empty sand-swept parking lots of the pyramids at Giza, where hundreds of tour guides, postcard sellers and trinket sellers also waited for customers. There was no jostling for snapshots of the Sphinx.
At the famed Egyptian Museum, about 200,000 people a day once paraded past dimly lit cabinets of antiquities. We were free to stroll around and linger at favorite sights. Along the Nile, many traditional falouka sailboats were roped to the docks.
Even the touristy Red Sea beach resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, far from Cairo's turbulence, offered deeply discounted rooms. So did the more charming smaller towns north to Jordan.
"It is very safe and very quiet here," said Ali Osman, front office manager of the stunning Coralia Club Hotel in the sleepy south Sinai Peninsula beach town of Dahab.
Like its next-door neighbors — the Meridian, Hilton and other upscale hotels — this elegant Sofitel hotel closed its doors during the upheaval in late January, rather than operate at a loss. In February, only 35 percent of rooms were filled.
"We drop our rates to keep reasonable occupancy," Osman said.
Our lovely oceanview room, with a delicious breakfast and dinner included, cost only $95. Yet the hotel was half empty.
As always, Russians are everywhere. Australians have begun to venture back, along with New Zealanders. We saw a scattering of French and Brits. But there were no signs of Americans.
One morning at dawn, I climbed aboard the small motorboat of naturalist Mohamed Arabi — "The Birdman of Aswan" — and had a personal introduction to exotic Nile species such as sunbirds, gallinules and storks.
"Because of all the American propaganda outside, only you, you're the only one here!" he despaired. "What kind of problems you see today? There is not any problem. There is no problem at all."
Safety concerns
Back home in California, while we packed for our trip, worried friends expressed concern for our safety. Family members questioned my parenting skills.
It is true that Egypt has no head of state. The civil police, symbols of Mubarak's repression, abruptly have withdrawn. Political unrest continues in neighboring nations. Thousands of troops have been moved into the Sinai Peninsula as part of a major operation against al-Qaida inspired militants, increasingly active there since Mubarak's ouster.
Violence does not appear to be targeting tourists, and of this I was sure: Opportunities don't wait for perfect timing. My daughter had just graduated from college and had an entire month free. My newspaper work covering higher education had slowed for the summer. Plus, we already had experienced other memorable adventures in edgy nations within Africa and Latin America.
So we went. Cautiously.
We steered clear of political gatherings in Cairo, particularly after the mosques emptied on Fridays. We were careful to dress conservatively, to avoid walking alone or venturing into the poorest neighborhoods or looking strange men directly in the eye.
The U.S. Embassy has received increasing reports during the past several months of foreign women being harassed, or groped in taxis and in public places. We encountered no threats — just frequent catcalls that grew annoying, like mosquitoes.
"Tourist police" were everywhere; in exchange for help, they asked for spare change. But when hounded, it's permissible to be loud and offensive, saying "Bas!" ("Stop!"). When confronted, no one wished to make a scene.
Traffic jams have intensified since the departure of the police, creating chaotic streets in Cairo. We found it faster to walk, or take the subway. But we experienced no pickpocketing or property crime, so common elsewhere in the world.
Country needs tourists
Perhaps because Egypt is so dependent on tourism, it seems to take the safety of visitors seriously. Anti-U.S. anger was targeted toward American politicians, not average citizens — an important distinction. And while locals anxiously wanted to discuss politics, we avoided debates involving Israel.
The biggest nuisance was the vendors, desperately trying to sell their wares. Who could blame them? Tourism is the lifeblood for this country of more than 85 million people.
Egyptians hoped that the overthrow of Mubarak would improve their lives, but many in the tourism industry are economically worse off than before the revolution. After January's uprising, revenues from tourism collapsed, putting pressure on the balance of payments and starting a slide in foreign reserves, according to a recent analysis by the Economist.
Immediately following Mubarak's ouster, hopes were high; now restless young men who lost their hotel or taxi jobs sit around cafes, with cellphones in hand, waiting for any odd work. Unemployment is highest among 15- to-20-year-olds.
"Before, I made money and could feed my horses and family. We were busy all day, going here, going there. I had two people working for me," said one man seeking to sell horseback rides to tourists along a Dahab beach. "Now look, there are only 30 or 50 people on the beach — for three hotels! I am scared."
Egypt's economic growth is expected to slow to just 1 percent this year, a sharp drop from a 5.5 percent rate in the second half of 2010, according to a report in April by the International Monetary Fund. The drop in tourist revenue is a big part of the problem; only ship traffic through the Suez Canal brings in more money.
"It's not just the hotels, but all the workmen related to the hotel — the maintenance people, the electricians, the plumbers ..." said Hanan Attiatallah, a German-educated woman who owns Aswan's lovely and newly renovated Philae Hotel.
If the economy improves, it could help consolidate democracy; if it falters, it could undermine progress. In our own modest way, we were happy to help and witness, with few other tourists, both the old and newly emerging Egypt.
"This is the moment for everyone who wishes the Egyptian revolution well to visit," Egyptian novelist and political commentator Ahdaf Soueif recently wrote in the London Guardian. "Everyone who's interested in the great experiment we're living through should come and be part of it."
"It will settle down," Attiatallah predicted. "But for now, guests who like to take this adventure, they should come here now."
IF YOU GO: Find the latest security alerts about Egypt at travel.state.gov. A passport and visa are required for entry. Tourists can obtain a renewable 30-day tourist visa on arrival at an Egyptian airport for a $15 fee, payable in U.S. dollars. Egypt's official tourism website is egypt.travel.
Copyright 2011 madison.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Latest information
1. On some of your accounts there is a "now due" or "past due" amount of $25. Do not worry about that - it is not past due and will be taken care of once you are fully paid.
2. Additionally, here is an article from the New York Times about travel to Egypt.
WHEN the Arab Spring spread to Egypt on Jan. 25, culminating in the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak 17 days later, it brought an electrifying sense of achievement and — as travelers and tour operators know all too well — an unwelcome side effect: the crippling of Egypt’s tourism industry, the country’s major source of revenue and jobs.
A total of 14.8 million tourists came to Egypt last year, feeding $13 billion into the economy. But the number of visitors fell by 80 percent in the first month after the revolution, and the industry will probably finish this year down 25 percent, according to the tourism ministry. That is a loss of more than $3 billion.
“We canceled all of our departures for the spring,” said Tom Armstrong, the director of communications for Tauck Tours, which normally runs a dozen high-end trips to Egypt annually. Now, with the high season just beginning, “business is coming back, but it’s not back to what we’ve enjoyed historically,” he said.
“In the long term we’re optimistic,” he added, noting that the government’s “aggressive” promotion has helped restore a measure of confidence.
Those efforts have included TV advertising, news media junkets and a marketing push at tourist fairs in Europe, the United States and elsewhere. Mounir Fakhri Abdel Nour, the minister of tourism and former head of Egypt’s largest opposition party, said he spent much of last spring and summer “doing everything feasible to bring back the tourists,” including appearances throughout the Middle East and Europe to spread the word that the country is safe. A lobbying campaign succeeded in getting the southern Egyptian city of Aswan selected as the host last month of the World Tourism Day ceremony, an important industry event.
“Not a single tourist has been hurt, or had any problem since the 25th of January,” Mr. Abdel Nour said. In the midst of the revolution, banners in Tahrir Square, he said, “were asking tourists not to leave, and promising that they will be protected, which tells you to what extent Egyptians value tourism.”
In the United States, tour companies like Abercrombie & Kent say they are seeing an increase in interest, particularly among first timers taking advantage of low prices, politically aware travelers who wish to show support for Egyptian democracy and returnees interested in exploring newly accessible sites like the Avenue of the Sphinxes in Luxor, a 1.7-mile path linking the Temple of Luxor with the Temple of Karnak, scheduled to be fully renovated this fall.
Abercrombie & Kent ran all nine of its scheduled tours in Egypt in October. All were at close to their capacity of 20 to 24 people each, said Pamela Lassers, the company’s media-relations director. Dozens of tours scheduled through New Year’s 2012 are nearly full, she said, and the company has added two new departures next year for its family tour “Pyramids, Mummies and Temples.”
Tauck and Abercrombie & Kent have filled their Facebook pages with testimonials from recent visitors to Egypt, many of whom cite the absence of the usual crush at the Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Egyptian Museum; and the “optimistic spirit” and “good mood” of the people. “Right now is a great time to visit,” a visitor wrote in September. “It’s not crowded and there are incredible deals out there.”
Abercrombie & Kent guides have begun incorporating recent events into their itineraries. “There are lots of people who want to see the effects of the revolution,” Ms. Lasser said.
Yet assuring travelers that Egypt is safe can be a challenge. Recent events have shown that the rebound of the tourism industry will depend on political stability, which remains elusive. In late June, clashes between protesters and the police around Tahrir Square left hundreds of people injured. In September, the killings of five Egyptian security officers by Israeli forces in the aftermath of a militant attack on the Egypt-Israel border touched off a mob assault on the Israeli Embassy in Cairo. Three Egyptians were killed and more than 1,000 were injured. And last month, 24 Coptic Christians were run over by military vehicles or shot dead during a protest in Cairo.
Rami Girgis, Abercrombie & Kent’s product manager for Egypt and North Africa, who just returned from Cairo, said, “The security forces are visible everywhere, not only tourist police, but the army.”
EVEN so, Mr. Armstrong of Tauck said that clients “are calling, expressing interest mixed with a little bit of concern” that protests or other disturbances could disrupt opening hours or force some museums and sites to close.
Some tourism officials and tour operators are promoting Alexandria, which saw Coptic protests in October but nothing close to the violence of Cairo, as a safer bet. The Mediterranean city, founded by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C., has never been a big draw for modern Westerners. Preservationists and the Egyptian government have been trying to change that in recent years.
In 2002, the new Library of Alexandria opened on the Corniche near the site of its predecessor, which was built in the third century B.C. and burned by the Romans in 30 B.C. The library, a huge glass-and-steel disc that slopes sharply toward the Mediterranean Sea, has won accolades for its ambitious design and innovations like the Espresso Book Machine, which can reproduce almost any volume, complete with color covers and glue bindings, in minutes.
City officials are also planning for the world’s first underwater museum, which would offer glimpses of sphinxes, ancient shipwrecks and fragments believed to be from the Pharaos of Alexandria lighthouse, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world.
Sarah Nabil, public relations manager for the Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria, said the city had been preparing for a major influx of Western and Middle Eastern tourists before the revolution. “It was supposed to be starting this year, and of course it didn’t happen,” she said.
First came the deadly New Year’s Day bombing of Saints Church by radical Islamists affiliated with Al Qaeda. Then the revolution hit. As in Cairo, the police withdrew and prisoners escaped en masse; violent clashes erupted. Tourists fled the city and, except for Arab and North African visitors, they have largely stayed away.
Ms. Nabil said that citywide plans to upgrade hotels and restaurants are on hold. “The city was starting to be on a higher level, and that’s all been delayed,” she said.
Everyone in Egypt, from Ms. Nabil to the protesters in Tahrir Square to government officials, depend on foreign visitors thinking of Egypt as a safe place. So far, that has been as much of a challenge as establishing a full-fledged democracy.
2. Additionally, here is an article from the New York Times about travel to Egypt.
WHEN the Arab Spring spread to Egypt on Jan. 25, culminating in the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak 17 days later, it brought an electrifying sense of achievement and — as travelers and tour operators know all too well — an unwelcome side effect: the crippling of Egypt’s tourism industry, the country’s major source of revenue and jobs.
A total of 14.8 million tourists came to Egypt last year, feeding $13 billion into the economy. But the number of visitors fell by 80 percent in the first month after the revolution, and the industry will probably finish this year down 25 percent, according to the tourism ministry. That is a loss of more than $3 billion.
“We canceled all of our departures for the spring,” said Tom Armstrong, the director of communications for Tauck Tours, which normally runs a dozen high-end trips to Egypt annually. Now, with the high season just beginning, “business is coming back, but it’s not back to what we’ve enjoyed historically,” he said.
“In the long term we’re optimistic,” he added, noting that the government’s “aggressive” promotion has helped restore a measure of confidence.
Those efforts have included TV advertising, news media junkets and a marketing push at tourist fairs in Europe, the United States and elsewhere. Mounir Fakhri Abdel Nour, the minister of tourism and former head of Egypt’s largest opposition party, said he spent much of last spring and summer “doing everything feasible to bring back the tourists,” including appearances throughout the Middle East and Europe to spread the word that the country is safe. A lobbying campaign succeeded in getting the southern Egyptian city of Aswan selected as the host last month of the World Tourism Day ceremony, an important industry event.
“Not a single tourist has been hurt, or had any problem since the 25th of January,” Mr. Abdel Nour said. In the midst of the revolution, banners in Tahrir Square, he said, “were asking tourists not to leave, and promising that they will be protected, which tells you to what extent Egyptians value tourism.”
In the United States, tour companies like Abercrombie & Kent say they are seeing an increase in interest, particularly among first timers taking advantage of low prices, politically aware travelers who wish to show support for Egyptian democracy and returnees interested in exploring newly accessible sites like the Avenue of the Sphinxes in Luxor, a 1.7-mile path linking the Temple of Luxor with the Temple of Karnak, scheduled to be fully renovated this fall.
Abercrombie & Kent ran all nine of its scheduled tours in Egypt in October. All were at close to their capacity of 20 to 24 people each, said Pamela Lassers, the company’s media-relations director. Dozens of tours scheduled through New Year’s 2012 are nearly full, she said, and the company has added two new departures next year for its family tour “Pyramids, Mummies and Temples.”
Tauck and Abercrombie & Kent have filled their Facebook pages with testimonials from recent visitors to Egypt, many of whom cite the absence of the usual crush at the Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Egyptian Museum; and the “optimistic spirit” and “good mood” of the people. “Right now is a great time to visit,” a visitor wrote in September. “It’s not crowded and there are incredible deals out there.”
Abercrombie & Kent guides have begun incorporating recent events into their itineraries. “There are lots of people who want to see the effects of the revolution,” Ms. Lasser said.
Yet assuring travelers that Egypt is safe can be a challenge. Recent events have shown that the rebound of the tourism industry will depend on political stability, which remains elusive. In late June, clashes between protesters and the police around Tahrir Square left hundreds of people injured. In September, the killings of five Egyptian security officers by Israeli forces in the aftermath of a militant attack on the Egypt-Israel border touched off a mob assault on the Israeli Embassy in Cairo. Three Egyptians were killed and more than 1,000 were injured. And last month, 24 Coptic Christians were run over by military vehicles or shot dead during a protest in Cairo.
Rami Girgis, Abercrombie & Kent’s product manager for Egypt and North Africa, who just returned from Cairo, said, “The security forces are visible everywhere, not only tourist police, but the army.”
EVEN so, Mr. Armstrong of Tauck said that clients “are calling, expressing interest mixed with a little bit of concern” that protests or other disturbances could disrupt opening hours or force some museums and sites to close.
Some tourism officials and tour operators are promoting Alexandria, which saw Coptic protests in October but nothing close to the violence of Cairo, as a safer bet. The Mediterranean city, founded by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C., has never been a big draw for modern Westerners. Preservationists and the Egyptian government have been trying to change that in recent years.
In 2002, the new Library of Alexandria opened on the Corniche near the site of its predecessor, which was built in the third century B.C. and burned by the Romans in 30 B.C. The library, a huge glass-and-steel disc that slopes sharply toward the Mediterranean Sea, has won accolades for its ambitious design and innovations like the Espresso Book Machine, which can reproduce almost any volume, complete with color covers and glue bindings, in minutes.
City officials are also planning for the world’s first underwater museum, which would offer glimpses of sphinxes, ancient shipwrecks and fragments believed to be from the Pharaos of Alexandria lighthouse, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world.
Sarah Nabil, public relations manager for the Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria, said the city had been preparing for a major influx of Western and Middle Eastern tourists before the revolution. “It was supposed to be starting this year, and of course it didn’t happen,” she said.
First came the deadly New Year’s Day bombing of Saints Church by radical Islamists affiliated with Al Qaeda. Then the revolution hit. As in Cairo, the police withdrew and prisoners escaped en masse; violent clashes erupted. Tourists fled the city and, except for Arab and North African visitors, they have largely stayed away.
Ms. Nabil said that citywide plans to upgrade hotels and restaurants are on hold. “The city was starting to be on a higher level, and that’s all been delayed,” she said.
Everyone in Egypt, from Ms. Nabil to the protesters in Tahrir Square to government officials, depend on foreign visitors thinking of Egypt as a safe place. So far, that has been as much of a challenge as establishing a full-fledged democracy.
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