EGYPT: Tourists Are Scarce But Egypt Struggles To Maintain Heritage

Egypt is struggling to preserve its troubled archaeological heritage and Tourism, Inspite of a shaky economy following years of unrest and a huge drop in tourists,

From Alexandria on the Mediterranean to the Great Pyramid of Giza,the last of the Seven Wonders of the World and Aswan to the south, the North African country is home to impressive ancient monuments.

For years, the sites were able to rely on a steady stream of ticket sales to finance their upkeep.

But since Egypt's 2011 revolution, the number of tourists visiting the country has dwindled, leaving authorities scrambling to make up for lost revenues.

Since January 2011, our revenues have fallen sharply, which had a strong effect on the state of Egyptian monuments, Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Enany says.

From more than 15 million in 2010, the number of tourists visiting Egypt dropped to 6.3 million in 2015.

Years of political tumult after the 2011 uprising that unseated strongman Hosni Mubarak and a jihadist insurgency following the army's 2013 overthrow of his Islamist successor Mohamed Morsi have discouraged many from visiting.

Revenue from entrance tickets to historical sites dropped to about $38 million in 2015, from about $220 million in 2010.

It's catastrophic, said Fayza Haikal, an Egyptologist and professor at the American University of Cairo.

Zahi Hawass, an archeologist and former antiquities minister, said the country's heritage has suffered as a result.

With the lack of funding, you cannot restore anything. Look at the Cairo museum. It's dark, he said, referring to the famed Egyptian Museum in the capital's Tahrir Square.

And you cannot ask the government to support you because the economy is not that good. And antiquities are deteriorating everywhere, he said.

Administering the country's antiquities takes about 38,000 employees, including on-site workers, technicians, Egyptologists and inspectors, the ministry says.

The government has relied on foreign handouts since Morsi's overthrow, and finally decided to float the pound last year as part of an economic reform program connected to a loan from the International Monetary Fund.

An important part of an economic revival would include the return of tourism, a main hard currency earner for Egypt.

Until then, Enany is trying to limit the damage.

I try to do extra activities to increase revenue, he said.

For example, the Egyptian Museum, home to the golden mask of Tutankhamun and mummies of pharaohs, now stays open into the night, he said.

Annual passes are also available to encourage Egyptians to visit the sites.

Patrons and archaeological missions still contribute to the preservation of Egypt's ancient heritage, but the funds cannot cover everything.

Priority is given to restoration, said Haikal. But there are excavations that have been stopped due to lack of funding.

The excavations have waited for 5,000 years and can wait, she said, but important restoration work has also been delayed.

At the very least we identify what needs restoration, and we do the minimum to keep them in a proper state.

Enany is also pushing for granting public access to more sites, as was done with the recently opened tombs of Nefertari and Seti I in Luxor.

The Malawi museum in the southern province of Minya has also been reopened, after a mob looted it during the bloody unrest following Morsi's overthrow.

The Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza pyramids should also be opened, at least partially, in 2018.

On some projects, the ministry can get special funds, such as for recent work done on the synagogue of Alexandria and the Abu Mena church, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Hawass, who advises Enany, says the minister needs more support and also for authorities to think beyond Egypt by undertaking exhibitions abroad.

"Why leave Tutankhamun in the Cairo museum, in a dark area. No one sees it," he said. "Tutankhamun can bring money!"

EGYPT: Tourists You Are Welcome Back

Egyptians are calling on tourists to start returning to their country, now being safe. Indeed, very low prices and an enthusiastic population create a perfect environment for Egypt travellers.

In central Cairo's famous Tahrir Square, where the revolution was won, the victory is celebrated each Friday by large festive crowds, a growing number of tourists are taking place in the celebrations. They are still few, but are warmly received by the protesters, watching out for them and making sure they are safe.

Also at Tahrir Square, many of those having secured the revolution now are joining calls for international tourists to return to Egypt. "It is safe," they assure, and it would be the best way of the international community to support Egypt at these crossroads.

Indeed, tourists have never been as warmly welcomed to Egypt as these post-revolutionary days. The world-famous Egyptian Museum at Tahrir Square, which reopened earlier this week, welcomed the first international visiters with roses.

There are scenes of joy at the Giza pyramids; at the Nile cruiseboats; at historic sites in Luxor and Thebe as the first but few tourists start returning. Local businesses express their gratitude to the returnees in many ways.

One of these ways is lowering prices. Nile cruises could never be had as cheap as now; camel rides equally. Restaurants and hotels - even the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Cairo - offer major discounts to attract foreigners. Of course, occupancy rates are still far below normal.

Under these conditions, this is actually the best possible moment to visit Egypt. The joy of the revolution's victory is still strongly felt; visitors are welcomed in the warmest way; and prices in Egypt are at their lowest.

Although tourist numbers still are at their lowest, there is a remarkable interest in the Egyptian destination. Currently, only regular flights go to Egypt. Tour operators have not resumed charter flights.

But the two major markets for travellers to Egypt - the UK and Germany - will soon revive. Germany's giant TUI already on 1 March resumes flights to Egypt from most German airports. Austria's ETI event resumes Egypt trips tomorrow, 26 February. British Thomas Cook is already operating trips to Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada and Luxor.

"Our experienced teams on the ground assure us that no tourist areas at the Red Sea have been affected in any way by the recent demonstrations," Thomas Cook Ltd says in an Egypt update issued yesterday. "They are fully operational and holidaymakers are continuing to enjoy the popular resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada."

Other countries are slower in normalising their Egypt travel operations, in some cases cancelled until April or even May. But this is quickly changing as governments are removing their Egypt travel warnings. Swedish operator Apollo yesterday announced that, following the lifting of the Stockholm Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel warning, its first flight to Hurghada was to be precipitated by one month, to 2 April.
Egypt is safe; Tourists, come back
Egyptian authorities are doing their best to hasten such changes in Europe - their main travel market - despite the problems at the Ministry of Tourism, where the ex-Minister and several of his aides have been fired over corruption allegations.

Visiting German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle yesterday met his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Abul-Gheit and other ministers, in talks that to a large degree addressed the tourism sector. Minister Abul-Gheit urged Germany to keep "the flow of tourists to the country" and Minister Westerwelle said government had not only lifted the trave warning, but was urging German tourists to visit Egypt.

Minister Abul-Gheit urged Germany to keep "the flow of tourists to the country" and Minister Westerwelle said government had not only lifted the trave warning, but was urging German tourists to visit Egypt.

Meanwhile, potential Egypt travellers all around the world are investigating ways to go and experience the new spirit in this ancient destination. Travel agents in the US are reporting on growing numbers of reservations and about tourists that had to cancel trips to Egypt earlier now are looking for new possibilities to go to the country.

From Finland, tour operator Finnmatkat reports a large request of people wanting to go to Egypt. These are both people made curious by the revolution and people that had to cancel their trips earlier this year. Among those having to cancel their trips, "many customers wanted to go Egypt in particular, which is why other destinations did not necessarily attract them", Finnmatkat reports. Following the pressure, trips from Finland to Egypt are to resume in mid-March.

Also TUI in Germany is noting an increased interest in its planned resumption of Egypt trips, which still remain fairly cheap. Interestingly, non-Germans are seeking to book Egypt travels through TUI as tour operators in their countries are slow to resume flights.

But despite these optimistic signals, the revivial of the Egytpian tourism industry is still very slow.

March will be the make-or-break month for the recovery of the country's tourism industry. Then, it will be seen if the 2011 season can be saved and if the large labour force in the sector can be maintained.