Egypt’s share of global tourism less than 1%

Tourism expert Mostafa al-Naggar said that while the global tourist industry brings in an estimated two trillion dollars annually, Egypt’s share of the volume of global tourism investments is less than one percent.

During an interview with the talk show “Hadith al-Qahira” (Cairo Talk) on the “al-Qahira wal Nas” (Cairo and the People) channel on Saturday, Naggar explained that tourism is a vital resource for the state that contributes about 12 percent of the gross domestic product.

There are currently two million tourism workers in Egypt, he said.

He noted that despite tourism being such an important part of the national economy, the state is lacking in a system that treats tourists and provides good services.

Naggar added that 2010 was the best year for the Egyptian tourism in terms of income, and said that Egypt needs strong tourism media capable of promoting tourism to the country.