Destinations 33
The oldest known woven garment in the world, believed to date back between 5,100 and 5,500 years, came from Egypt’s Tarkhan cemetery
EGYPT Egyptian Tourism Federation / AF5210
Home to a stunning collection of historical treas- ures, Egypt offers extraordinary landscapes, iconic attractions and a rich culture to explore. Despite recent unrest in and around the
country, tourism has started to show signs of recovery. The Egyptian Tourism Federation noted an increase in inbound travel between October 2016 and January 2017, compared with the same period the previous year. December saw 551,600 visitors, versus
440,000 the same month in 2015 – with inbound visits from China, Japan and the Ukraine all posting healthy figures. Meanwhile, visits to key sites including Luxor, Aswan and the capi- tal Cairo are also rising. To build on the positive growth, the Egyp-
tian Tourism Authority this year announced a plan to attract tourists from new markets, such as East and Southeast Asia, North Africa and Central Europe. The strategy focuses on improv- ing connectivity and an increased co-ordination with Egyptian embassies in the countries.
To further bolster the tourism industry,
which at its 2011 peak saw almost 15 million tourists spending US$12.5 billion (EGP226.87 billion), the Central Bank of Egypt is financing a US$267 million (EGP4.85 billion) fund. With a history spanning back more than
7,000 years, Egypt is home to all manner of marvels including the Great Pyramid of Giza – the last remaining monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – as well as the largest known oasis, the Nile Valley and Delta. Adding to the already established sites and
attractions, a series of ambitious new develop- ments is planned, including the creation of an as yet unnamed new capital city. A US$150 million (EGP2.7 billion) new termi-
Wadi El Hitan, or ‘Whale Valley’, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Faiyum Governate which is known for containing hundreds of ancient whale fossils
nal at Borg El-Arab Airport in Alexandria is also in the pipeline, while a US$457 million (EGP8.29 billion) extension of Sharm El Sheikh Interna- tional Airport will see it accommodate 18 million passengers annually. Adding to the country’s increased passenger capacity, Cairo Airport’s renovated Terminal 2 opened in September last year, and is now able to handle 30 million passengers a year. New hotels set to open soon in the coun-
try include five Hilton properties, which will be located nationwide, The St Regis Cairo and Raffles Citystars Sharm El Sheikh. Element Cairo will follow in 2019 and, by 2020, W Sharm El Sheikh, Fairmont Soma Bay and Swissotel Katameyahd are also set to open.
Marina, Hurghada City Egyptian Pyramids
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