Egyptian Tourism Revenue Down 66 Pct In Q1

Egypt netted just USD$500 million in tourism revenue in the first quarter of 2016, down from USD$1.5 billion a year earlier, highlighting the country's struggle to kickstart a key earner.

Egypt's tourism industry, a cornerstone of the economy and critical source of hard currency, has been struggling to rebound after the political and economic upheaval triggered by the 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.

Tourism revenue has also taken a heavy hit since a Russian plane crashed in the Sinai last October, killing all 224 people on board in what President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called an act of terrorism. Islamic State said it planted a bomb on board.

More than 14.7 million tourists visited Egypt in 2010, dropping to 9.8 million in 2011.

In the first quarter of 2016 1.2 million tourists visited Egypt, down from 2.2 million a year earlier, said economic adviser to the ministry of tourism Adla Ragab.

Egypt aims to attract 12 million tourists by the end of 2017 through a plan that includes increasing the presence of national carrier EgyptAir abroad, tourism minister Yehia Rashed said in a recent interview with Reuters.