Facts and figures
Prior to the political unrest in Egypt in 2011, it was estimated that tourism contributed to around 11% of the country’s GDP, attracting 14.7 million visitors in 2010. However, following the events of January 2011, which affected the Egyptian economy in a number of ways, the number of tourists fell by at least 40%. It is hoped, however, that tourism will bounce back and grow in the medium and long-term, following the Sustainable Tourism Strategy 2020 and offering new attractions.
Destinations in Egypt
Egypt has become, in the last few decades, a mass-tourism destination, attracting sun-seekers with its beach resorts and package deals. Popular spots include Sharm El Sheikh, in the south of the Sinai Peninsula, which is known for its dive sites and wealth of diving centres, although there is concern over the impact of the tourism industry and other factors on the area’s coral reefs. Though sometimes referred to as the City of Peace, a range of nightclubs can be found there, catering for the tourist influx. The Peninsula is also home to another tourist favourite, Mount Sinai, believed to be the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments.
Just outside Giza, across the Nile from Cairo, sit perhaps the most obvious destination for visitors to Egypt; the Pyramids of Khufu, Kafre and Menkaure. Built as tombs for the pharaohs, the oldest of Giza’s pyramids, that of Khufu, dates back to around 2560 BC. Close by is another attraction, the image of which is somewhat symbolic of Egypt abroad; the Great Sphinx, with the head of a man and the body of a lion. Legend has it that the face of the Sphynx is disfigured as a result of having been used as target practice during the French Invasion at the end of the 1700s.
Temple ruins of the ancient city of Thebes lie in the modern city of Luxor, with the Valley of the Kings, a burial ground for pharaohs of the 18th-20th dynasties, just across the river.
Alternative tourism
Alternative tourism, as opposed to the mass tourism in which large numbers of people visit the same place, has been described as providing individual tourist services and promoting mutual understanding . Within this genre is eco-tourism, defined as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people". Egypt’s eco-tourism is mainly concentrated in Egypt’s Eastern, Western and Sinai deserts. A reported 100,000 eco-tourists visited Egypt in 2010, and a number of eco-lodges now exist around the country. They offer accommodation that has been constructed with natural materials and that uses renewable energy sources. Opportunities for contributing to community projects can also be found; for example, helping to build a water tank on the Sinai Peninsula.
Adventure travel is another way to take in some of Egypt’s natural attractions. Hiking and mountain biking trails explore Sinai and the Red Sea Mountains, whilst safari tours are offering tourists the opportunity to venture away from some of the more crowded destinations, be it in a four-by-four or, more traditionally, on the back of a camel. In this way, you can visit the oases of the Western Desert, the driest part of the Sahara, whose remote landscapes will seem a world away from the throng of Cairo and the resorts of the Peninsula.