Egypt tourism numbers to fall less than feared

By Alexander Dziadosz

CAIRO (Reuters) - Tourist arrivals to Egypt should slip by 1 to 3 percent in 2009, less than feared, and will grow again in 2010 as Europe rebounds from its economic woes, the country's tourism minister said on Tuesday.

Egypt, after months of decline, saw tourism numbers advance by 10.7 percent in September compared to a year earlier, spurred by strong Russian and British arrivals, Tourism Minister Zoheir Garrana told Reuters in an interview.

"I believe in October we will have a positive figure. In November, the same," Garrana said. "That's why I'm predicting we'll be closing the year between minus one and minus three."

"As of the third quarter of 2010, I believe that we will be sitting on very solid ground," he added.

Garrana said visitor numbers should grow between 3 and 5 percent in 2010 in Egypt, home to pharaonic ruins and Red Sea beach resorts.

Numbers should again rise by 10 to 14 percent in 2011 thanks largely to an expected recovery in Europe and to Egypt's efforts to bolster its marketing campaigns, he added.

The global economic downturn has stung Egypt's tourism industry, a crucial source of revenue and jobs in the most populous Arab country.

More than 12.8 million tourists visited Egypt in 2008, providing revenues of nearly $11 billion. This compares to a gross domestic product of $163 billion, according to World Bank statistics.   Continued...