Chairperson of Arab Organization of Tourism, Dr. Bandar bin Fahd Al-Fahd revealed that he contacts with Egypt’s ministers of Tourism Yahya Rashid and Aviation Sherif Fathi, saying that they denied the rumors circulated on social media networks over the challenges and blackmail attempts exerted against tourists coming from the Gulf States at International Cairo Airport.
He stressed that the Egyptian government is keen to welcome the tourists and to protect their security and safety during their presence in the country, stressing that such rumors aim to undermine the efforts exerted by the Egyptian authorities to revive the vital sector of the Egyptian economy.
He added, “The major evidence in this regard is the decision taken by the government to allow tourists coming from the countries of Gulf Cooperation Council to enter the country through its entry points and obtain a visa at the airport.”
The chairperson of the Arab Tourism Organization called, in a statement, the users of social media networks not to promote such rumors, saying that they should be aware of the the attempts aiming to target the Arab countries in various fields, especially the tourism sector, which is a fundamental pillar for supporting and developing the economy of different Arab states.
The statement comes after the decision taken by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism to grant visas to the residents of all Gulf countries at the Egyptian airports.
In April, Tourism Minister Yehia Rashed announced that Egypt will begin implementing a new electronic visa system by June 1. "Under this system, any tourist anywhere in the world will have the right to apply for an electronic visa," Rashed said, according to Egypt Independent.
He added that the number of tourists visiting the country may actually reach pre-2011 levels. "I think if we are fortunate enough, this year we will come very close. We are hoping to close the gap as we go on," Rashed said.
Tourism accounts for about 11 percent of Egypt's economy. According to Rashed, the number of tourists arriving in the country during the first two months of 2017 was very good. He also said that on average, tourists were staying longer and spending more than in previous years.