EGYPT: Tourists make their way to the Giza Pyramids one week after the Egyptian revolution

Record ID: 644795

  • Title: EGYPT: Tourists make their way to the Giza Pyramids one week after the Egyptian revolution
  • Date: 21st February 2011
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (FEBRUARY 20, 2011) (REUTERS) WIDE OF GIZA PYRAMIDS VARIOUS OF PYRAMIDS CAMEL GUIDES SITTING IDLE WITH CAMELS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ARGENTINE TOURIST, SANDRA, WITH HER URUGUAYAN HUSBAND, PABLO, SAYING: "In our own country it's sometimes a similar situation, so we're not afraid." PYRAMIDS AND SPHINX MEDIUM OF SPHINX AND PYRAMID CAMELS WALKING ON ROAD BY THE PYRAMIDS (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURIST FROM NEW ZEALAND, CARINE RIGAL, SAYING: "Last time I came it was full of tourists and this time I've got it virtually to myself. No, its wonderful." PYRAMID MAN FEEDING CAMEL TOUR GUIDE SPEAKING TO TOURISTS AND PAN UP TO PYRAMIDS AND SPHINX TOUR GUIDE SPEAKING TO TOURISTS SPHINX TOURISTS LISTENING TO TOUR GUIDE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TOUR GUIDE FOR 'TOGETHER' TOUR GROUP, SHARIF YOUSEF, SAYING: "Hopefully there will be some more movement than there was before, because we now know that there are some tourist flights arriving next Tuesday and Wednesday. So it's getting back to the way it was little by little. Just the same way people left a little at a time, it takes time for them to come back. But it just takes time." VARIOUS OF TOURISTS ENTERING SPHINX SITE WIDE OF PYRAMIDS AND SPHINX
  • Embargoed: 8th March 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt, Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,Travel / Tourism
  • Reuters ID: LVABE456FL09NY6NAQSP1IP5L8VQ
  • Story Text: The pyramid panorama is normally packed with tourists fighting for a front row seat in order to gaze upon the last of the world's remaining ancient wonders.
    But a week after the pyramids and the Sphinx re-opened to visitors following the Egyptian revolution, only a trickle of foreigners made their way up to the Giza plateau to take in the view on Sunday (February 20).
    With its year-round warm beaches and wealth of pharaonic antiquities, Egypt earned nearly 11 billion US dollars from tourism in 2009, according to the tourism ministry, accounting for over a tenth of gross domestic product.
    But the 18-day uprising that toppled longtime President Hosni Mubarak prompted many countries to issue warnings against travel in Egypt, putting many of the tour guides and souvenir salesmen out of business for the time being.
    A small number of foreigners have been undeterred however, like Sandra from Argentina, who said she and her husband Pablo were used to civil unrest.
    "In our own country it's sometimes a similar situation, so we're not afraid," she said.
    Tour guides at the pyramids and antiquities authorities said that since the site re-opened there have only been between 20 to 40 foreign tourists per day, and a slightly larger number of Egyptian visitors.
    Carine Rigal from New Zealand said that it was a welcome treat to be able to see the pyramids without the usual crush of tourists.
    "Last time I came it was full of tourists and this time I've got it virtually to myself. No, its wonderful," she said.
    The government said before Mubarak's resignation on February 11 that about 1 million tourists fled Egypt, costing it some $1 billion.
    While the tourism has been devastated during Egypt's upheaval, many in the industry hope that positive political change may encourage a boom in the future.
    Two of Europe's biggest travel companies said on Monday (February 14) they would restart holidays from Germany to Egypt in March. The German units of British travel groups Thomas Cook and TUI Travel had cancelled holidays until the end of February.
    One tour guide with a group of tourists from Bordeaux in France said today that he expected business to pick up quickly.
    "Hopefully there will be some more movement than there was before, because we now know that there are some tourist flights arriving next Tuesday and Wednesday. So it's getting back to the way it was little by little. Just the same way people left a little at a time, it takes time for them to come back. But it just takes time," said Sharif Youssef of the Together tour group.
    Egypt's tourism industry has faced similar disruptions over the last decade, such as the September 11 attacks on the United States, to bombings on Sinai resorts, the Red Sea shark attacks, and last year's Icelandic volcano.
    The Pyramids and Sphinx have witnessed that and much more in their 5,000 years and Egyptians are confident that the recent revolution will lead to a relatively short deterrent to their usual flood of visitors.
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