TOURISM SECTOR DEVELOPMENT
According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Travel & Tourism is one of the most important international economic activities internationally, and the main industry in many countries, as well as the fastest-growing economic sector in terms of foreign exchange earnings and job creation. In 2006 worldwide tourism exports are estimated at 873 billion Dollars.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt reports:

• “Tourist inflows to Egypt reached 9.7 million in 2006/07, up by 11.6% from the previous
year and generated a total of US$ 8 billion in revenues.
• Investments in the tourism sector reached approximately US$ 724 million in 2006/07.
• Several mega tourist projects are underway in Marsa Alam, the North Coast and the Red Sea, offering luxurious hotels, residential units and recreational parks.
• Egyptian aviation infrastructure is being modernized with major transformations of facilitates at major airports.
• Egypt’s International Tourist Arrivals (ITA) and International Tourism Revenues (ITR) are expected to reach 14 million and US$ 12 billion, respectively, by the year 2011.

The Ministry of Tourism is targeting 14 million foreign arrivals by 2011/12, predicting the generation of 1.2 million new jobs, and aiming to attract private sector investments of LE41.8 billion over the coming five years. To achieve these targets, the government is massively expanding its tourism facilities, as well as modernizing its supporting infrastructures.

The Ministry of Tourism has also set an integrated “Tourism Sustainable Development Plan” that will continue with improvements to the tourism sector up to 2020. Long-term expectations for Egypt’s tourism sector remain optimistic, and it is believed that Egypt will continue to be the region’s largest tourist destination.”

Egypt is abundant in historical and cultural “must-see” locations and offers some of the world’s main tourist attractions, such as the last remaining “Wonder of the Ancient World” – the Giza Pyramids, Cheop’s Great Pyramid and the mighty Sphinx. The wonders of Aswan and Luxor, sensational Nile cruises to the Valley of the Kings and Queens, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which contains the largest collection from the Pharaonic period and many other world-famous historic sites attract tourists from all over the world.

New tourism niche areas such as health and therapeutic tourism, shopping tourism, residential and sports tourism, including wide-ranging international marketing activities are part of an ongoing process of development to promote Egypt successful as a worldwide tourist destination.

It is worth mentioning that Egypt’s promoting campaign costs 40 million pounds annually and that Egypt takes part in 75 exhibitions in different countries worldwide and that it has 17 offices in world’s capital cities which promote tourism. It is also worth mentioning that the Ministry of Tourism managed, for the first time this year, to make tourist campaigns in collaboration with the organizers of the exterior journeys, especially for the Arab markets.