Egypt receives more tourists in first eight months
CAIRO, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Tourism Minister Zuheir Garana has said that the number of tourists visiting Egypt in the first eight months of this year increased by 5 percent over the same period last year, the state-owned al-Akhbar daily reported on Wednesday.
Garana said that the number of foreign visitors to Egypt reached 6 million, which reflected the strength of the Egyptian tourism industry and tourists' confidence in Egypt.
Tourism is one of Egypt's four key foreign currency earners, along with Suez Canal transit fees, remittances from Egyptian expatriates as well as gas and oil exports.
In 2005, 8.6 million foreign tourists visited Egypt and spent some 6.5 billion U.S. dollars, according to figures released by the Tourism Ministry.
More visitors are great for the country but when is the government going to do something about the ripping off of tourists. My friend is here and I have just tried to book her a camel ride through a tour operator (I can;t take her as I have to work )and they are lookin for £100 that is approx LE1000, includes pick up and return home, and of course they have told us it doesn't include tips etc, now even in London u can hire a horse for alot less that that.
Posted by Tigerlily (Member # 3567) on :
I hope you didn't "jump" on that offer, please! Shop around, the best is you are having an Egyptian friend doing the negociations for you.
I remember going on a camel back for 20, 30 LE an hour at the pyramids - but this is over 10 years ago.
Hope you are getting a reasonable price offer for the trip and I think you both should do it together.
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