MOT: Egypt may receive 10 mln Tourists in 2012

Louis Labeeb, deputy minister of tourism and chairman of planning & follow-up sector, expected that Egypt may receive almost 10 million tourists by the end of 2012.

Labeeb said the ministry’s plan for activating tourism aims to reach 25 million tourists by 2020, but the revolution’s incidents influenced this plan; referring that the authority’s plan this year depends on achieving stability and security.

The ministry’s plan during this year depends on attracting tourism to the secure regions such like Sharm Al Sheikh, Hurghada, Luxor and Aswan, moreover, to keep participating in international tourism conventions.

He said the authority works on attracting new tourism markets like China, India and Latin America’s markets; Brazil, Argentine. It seeks to enhance the airlines to these countries, besides the traditional tourism markets in western and Eastern Europe.

Labeeb added that the ministry works on varying the Egyptian tourism product and developing youth tourism through activating diving, golf, rally and safari tourism; in addition to reactivating beach tourism which represents from 80 to 85% of global tourism.