The government of Egypt, with its Islamist leanings, is not expected to remove beach resorts in the nation.
According to Reuters, Egypt would retain its beach tourism even though this might be against hardcore, conservative Islamic norms. In a message that was received with much relief by the tourism sector in the nation as well as outside Egypt, the tourism minister of Egypt said that any Islamic investment in the sector would complement and not replace beach resorts. The minister also acknowledged that the famed beach resorts in the nation were a vital source of revenue.
Egyptian tourism minister, Hisham Zaazou, is trying to revive the industry, which saw a very lean period recently when the civil war was raging in the nation. The industry had accounted for 10 per cent of the nation’s economic activity before the uprising in Egypt caused operators and tourists to desert the nation. The revival of the tourism sector was under doubt as Islamist groups outlawed under Hosni Mubarak moved into public view and tasted victory in the first Egyptian presidential election after the fall of the former president.
Even though Islamic Brotherhood officials have played it diplomatically when questions about the continuation of famous beach resorts have been raised, there were doubts that their existence was to be safeguarded. Now with the assurance from Zaazou, it is expected that tourism could flourish as before.
Zaazou said, ‘It will not be changed. Nothing will affect beach tourism. We are building on, increasing even, the capacities and the services rendered for our clients coming to our beaches. The current government, the current president is backing tourism at large. Everybody is aware that beach tourism constitutes 70 per cent of the traffic coming to Egypt. It will continue to do so. If there is investment in special kinds of beach tourism for, let’s say, Arab investors or Islamic investors as mentioned before, we are welcoming that on top, not in replacement of the current beach tourism.’
In Egypt, Red Sea beaches are as famous as the nation’s very popular historical relics.
