Tourists return to Egypt after 18 months of travel restrictions

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Foreign tourists are returning to Egypt’s resorts following 18 months of travel restrictions to curb the spreading of COVID-19.

"Tourism is starting to recover. If we look at the pyramid or the Egyptian Museum, we will find a very large occupancy rate, whether from internal or external tourism, especially after receiving Russian tourism we began to see a very large occupancy rate from external tourism in Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurghada and also Marsa Alam," AP quoted says Islam Fares, Director general of the union of Arab tourist guides as saying.

"We look forward in the second half of 2020 (2021), and after vaccinations began around the world and the arrival of Russian tourism at Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada airports, to recover a little bit until we reach the normal rates for the tourism sector." 

Egypt has received 300,000 tourists every month since the beginning of the year, according to data released by the ministry of tourism.

This figure rose to more than half a million a month in April.

Egypt’s tourism industry accounts for 9% of the country's GDP, but it was badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic last year.