Egypt’s tourist hub Luxor hopes for post-election boom
Luxor, Egypt (dpa) – Haj Mahmoud
carries some blue scarab pendants, the famous ancient Egyptian symbol
and amulet, and hands them as gifts for the few visitors arriving at the
Valley of Queens in the southern city of Luxor.
Wearing a grey gallabiya (flowing gown) and a white scarf wrapped over his head, the traditional costume in southern Egypt, the old man hopes the gifts will lure visitors to buy souvenirs from his shop, and may be also ward away the evil eye off his dying business.
Braving the scorching sun of May, Mahmoud is one of a few locals who continue to open their shops outside one of Luxor’s most famous tourist sites, despite the scarcity of visitors.
“May God ease our lives and make things better soon,” he says as he points to the sky. “After elections, hopefully, it will start getting back to how it was," he adds, referring to presidential polls scheduled for late May.
The tourism industry, once a pillar of Egypt's economy, has been reeling due to turmoil that has gripped the country for more than three years.
According to official data, tourist arrivals in Egypt in the first two months of 2014 dropped by 28 per cent to 1.3 million in comparison to same period last year.
Unrest and bombings that have increased in recent months have been blamed for the decline in numbers of foreign visitors.
European countries have issued several travel alerts against visiting certain areas in Egypt, including the Sinai where most deadly insurgency attacks have taken place.
Most travel warnings were issued after a February attack on a tourist bus in Sinai's Taba resort town, near the border with Israel, that killed three South Koreans and their Egyptian driver.
"One of the problems is that there is no negative travel advice for Luxor, but inevitably as the travel companies will tell you that when people see a negative ban even on one part of the country, especially older people … they get nervous,” James Moran, the head of Delegation of the European Union to Egypt, said during a recent visit to Luxor.
“This is why we are here today to some extent show people all is fine in Luxor; come and visit this fantastic place,” he added.
Tourism was first hit by the 2011 uprising against long-time president Hosny Mubarak, which pushed revenues down by 30 per cent, compared to those in 2010.
The situation got worse as violence increased after the army's ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in July.
In the run-up to the May 26-27 presidential elections, bombings have surged in Egypt, though no violence has hit Luxor.
Ex-army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi, who led Morsi's overthrow, is a lead presidential candidate whose supporters see him as able to end the unrest in the country.
Mansour - who works on a horse-drawn carriage, a popular ride in Luxor - and his little boy also hope for “some tourists” after the elections.
“I am tired of this slow business. My family is tired. Even the horses are tired. There is not enough food for them,” Mansour says as he points to two frail brown horses next to him. “The president should bring back security, so we would get more tourists.”
A hotel receptionist said that even a 2013 air balloon crash in Luxor that claimed 19 lives did not affect the rate of visitors as the unrest in other parts of the country did.
Luxor’s worst attack was in 1997 when almost 60 tourists were killed in an attack by radical Islamists on the Temple of Hatshepsut. The attack caused a collapse in the local tourism industry, the mainstay of Luxor's economy.
Minister of Tourism Hesham Zaazou said the rates of occupancy in tourist hotels in Luxor right now are lower than expected.
“The rate is between 10-12 per cent, but it is better in other parts of Egypt,” he said.
Zaazou pins hopes for a revival on the autumn season starting September, when more people usually head to sunny tourist destinations.
"This is a safe city, and its people have always been good to foreigners since they depend on tourism to earn a living."
Spanish version here and here
German translation here and here
Wearing a grey gallabiya (flowing gown) and a white scarf wrapped over his head, the traditional costume in southern Egypt, the old man hopes the gifts will lure visitors to buy souvenirs from his shop, and may be also ward away the evil eye off his dying business.
Braving the scorching sun of May, Mahmoud is one of a few locals who continue to open their shops outside one of Luxor’s most famous tourist sites, despite the scarcity of visitors.
“May God ease our lives and make things better soon,” he says as he points to the sky. “After elections, hopefully, it will start getting back to how it was," he adds, referring to presidential polls scheduled for late May.
The tourism industry, once a pillar of Egypt's economy, has been reeling due to turmoil that has gripped the country for more than three years.
 |
| Luxor Temple - 2014. (Nehal El-Sherif) |
According to official data, tourist arrivals in Egypt in the first two months of 2014 dropped by 28 per cent to 1.3 million in comparison to same period last year.
Unrest and bombings that have increased in recent months have been blamed for the decline in numbers of foreign visitors.
European countries have issued several travel alerts against visiting certain areas in Egypt, including the Sinai where most deadly insurgency attacks have taken place.
Most travel warnings were issued after a February attack on a tourist bus in Sinai's Taba resort town, near the border with Israel, that killed three South Koreans and their Egyptian driver.
"One of the problems is that there is no negative travel advice for Luxor, but inevitably as the travel companies will tell you that when people see a negative ban even on one part of the country, especially older people … they get nervous,” James Moran, the head of Delegation of the European Union to Egypt, said during a recent visit to Luxor.
“This is why we are here today to some extent show people all is fine in Luxor; come and visit this fantastic place,” he added.
Tourism was first hit by the 2011 uprising against long-time president Hosny Mubarak, which pushed revenues down by 30 per cent, compared to those in 2010.
The situation got worse as violence increased after the army's ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in July.
In the run-up to the May 26-27 presidential elections, bombings have surged in Egypt, though no violence has hit Luxor.
Ex-army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi, who led Morsi's overthrow, is a lead presidential candidate whose supporters see him as able to end the unrest in the country.
Mansour - who works on a horse-drawn carriage, a popular ride in Luxor - and his little boy also hope for “some tourists” after the elections.
“I am tired of this slow business. My family is tired. Even the horses are tired. There is not enough food for them,” Mansour says as he points to two frail brown horses next to him. “The president should bring back security, so we would get more tourists.”
A hotel receptionist said that even a 2013 air balloon crash in Luxor that claimed 19 lives did not affect the rate of visitors as the unrest in other parts of the country did.
Luxor’s worst attack was in 1997 when almost 60 tourists were killed in an attack by radical Islamists on the Temple of Hatshepsut. The attack caused a collapse in the local tourism industry, the mainstay of Luxor's economy.
Minister of Tourism Hesham Zaazou said the rates of occupancy in tourist hotels in Luxor right now are lower than expected.
“The rate is between 10-12 per cent, but it is better in other parts of Egypt,” he said.
Zaazou pins hopes for a revival on the autumn season starting September, when more people usually head to sunny tourist destinations.
"This is a safe city, and its people have always been good to foreigners since they depend on tourism to earn a living."
Spanish version here and here
German translation here and here
