Egypt draws record 9.7m visitors

Travel and Tourism News Middle East

With a record 9.7 million visitors in the year 2006-07, tourism numbers are well on target in Egypt.

The numbers reflect a 13 per cent increase on the previous fiscal year, the state news agency MENA reported. Egypt’s fiscal year runs from July to June.

The visitors brought revenues of $8.2 billion to the country, a 14 per cent increase on the $7.2 billion yield of the previous year, thus preserving tourism’s status as a major contributor to Egypt’s economy, along with oil and gas exports, Suez Canal transit fees and remittances from Egyptians working abroad.

MENA quoted Tourism Minister Zoheir Garanah as saying the visitors spent a cumulative total of 92.3 million nights in Egypt, 8.5 per cent up on 85.1 million in 2005-06.

Garanah says the number of tourists is depended on stability in ME and the funds invested by the government in infrastructure for the tourism sector.

The year began well for Egypt, with results for the first four months of 2007 pointing to a stronger-than-expected increase of 14 per cent in international tourist arrivals.

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