Egyptian Tourism Revenue 2009

Tourism revenue in Egypt fell in the first four months of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008, according to the latest figures from Reuters and the Ministry of Tourism. While the numbers from the two sources differ, it is clear that the world financial crisis has taken its toll on tourism to Egypt.

 

According to Reuters, tourism receipts for the period from January through March were down by 17.3 percent to $2.19 billion. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Tourism, Omayma El-Huseini, said that figure fell by 11 percent from a year ago, and that the number of tourists decreased by 9.3 percent.

 

For all of 2008, tourism revenue in Egypt amounted to $11 billion, which was slightly over 11 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. The sector also employs about 12.6 percent of the Egyptian workforce.

 

The Egyptian government anticipated a fall in tourism when the financial crisis began last year and has been working to keep numbers up. According to El-Huseini, some 70 percent of tourism in the county is beach and seaside related. Most of these visitors come from Eastern Europe and Russia, and Egypt has undertaken a widespread marketing campaign in these countries