By Aalia Khan
Since the 2011 Revolution Egypt has suffered a bit of a dry patch when it comes to tourism. Tourism was a main source of revenue and foreign currency for Egypt and the Egyptian revolution caused a hindrance to this.
At its height in 2010, more than 14.5 million tourists visited Egypt. That dropped to 9.5 million last year. Revenues have more than halved in that period – from £7.8bn to £3.7bn, causing around 400,000 jobs to be lost, according to government figures.
However Omayma El Husseini, Director at the Egyptian state tourism office, said there are no fears for people travelling to Egypt, “The security has stepped up in all tourist areas and there is nothing against tourists at all in the country, on the contrary we have been having an increase in numbers from this market and other markets aswel and that is enough of a testimony for tourists.”
The advice Omayma gave to tourists was to “Exert extra vigilance anywhere and avoid any areas that are not safe to Egyptians themselves. Otherwise it is fine, safe and sound.”
The Asian Sunday spoke to people in the UK about whether they felt Egypt was a safe holiday destination, if they had been would they go there again and the best attractions that they have visited in Egypt:
Waqas Butt, Radiographer – “Yes it is a safe destination, I’ve been there twice in 2011 and 2014 and there weren’t any changes where I went, but the people there had mixed opinions about what was going on. Sharm El Sheik is probably the best place in general to go to as there are no worries. However I think if you go to Cairo there’d be a lot more fear as there are a lot of checkpoints and police officers are always on guard. In 2011 Cairo wasn’t as bad but there were a lot of police, extra security and lots of checkpoints on the way.” Shaheen Navsarka, housewife – “Yes, the areas populated with tourists are safe and I would go again. Last I visited was for my Honeymoon in October 2008, and the current issues faced by today’s tourist were nonexistent. I do however feel that the tourist areas are safer in Egypt like the popular City of Sharm el Sheikh. The Pyramids of Giza, Valley of the Kings at Luxor, the River Nile, and of course the lovely holiday resort of Sharm el Sheikh are all great places to visit.”
Aamir Zaman, Legal assistant- “From what you see on the news I wouldn’t think Egypt is a safe holiday destination, but I guess its dependant on where in Egypt you go, most of the uprisings took place in Cairo but if you were visiting a resort like Sharm you would avoid the protests and riots etc. I would go there again.
The protests were a tentative topic; a lot of people were reserved on commenting. But the people that did all had differing views, but we didn’t see any fear in the people. Some people would be backing the new incoming leader general Sisi, but there were a lot of people who still wanted the Muslim brotherhood in charge, the new leader pushed them out and then labelled them terrorists but a lot of people in Egypt didn’t see them like that, they believed that they needed more time to sort the country out. The pyramids are amazing and defy logic! And Cairo is worth a risk!”
Fatima Kumran, HMRC worker- “At the moment, no I don’t think Egypt is a safe destination, a couple of weeks ago I saw on the news that a state of emergency had been declared in the Red Sea area. I wouldn’t go there at the moment, maybe in the future if it all calms down. I’ve been to Egypt 5 years ago for my son’s first birthday celebrations and we loved it, the atmosphere was fantastic and everyone was really friendly. I can understand why people would be scared to go to Egypt at this present time.”
Amita Patel, student “I think Egypt is a safe holiday destination and yes I would go again. The increased security makes it safe for tourists to visit so I don’t think they should have any fears, and there is no reason not to go.”
Nadeem Zaman, Solicitor – “Egypt isn’t safe but Sharm el Sheikh is as it’s purely for tourists, therefore the government have put into place extra security measures to draw tourism into the country, resulting in income which Egypt as a whole benefits from.
Sharm El Sheikh has changed massively since my first visit there. It wasn’t as busy or lively as it has been previously and it was clear that this was due to the recent problems and troubles Egypt had suffered. There seemed to be a lot of tension between people of different beliefs and religions which was purely as a result of a divided government.
The hotel resorts are a safe place to be and some of the 5 star hotels are amazing. They are clean, safe and all have friendly staff, however it can be a little frightening on the outside especially if you’re a group of females, a couple or a family. If you are looking for a relaxing resort holiday with a hot climate then Sharm El Sheikh is the place to visit.”
As is clear from the majority views of the public, fears about Egypt and its problems have decreased and tourists are beginning to travel back there. Omayma explains that security has increased and there are no reasons for people to fear for their safety and security when visiting Egypt. She says “Hotels there are very upscale and people get what they pay for and much more.” Sharm El Sheikh seems to be a popular destination amongst tourists and the government are also promoting the area, Cairo and Luxor also seem like great places to visit and are “Worth the risk.”