Snapshot: Egypt, Tourism and Islam

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

Snapshot: Egypt, Tourism and Islam

In spite of the apparent calm in Egypt after the historic "overthrow" of the Mubarak regime, travel, a major source of income for the country, has not recovered.

While some cruise lines have reinstated Egypt as a port of call, travel to the North African country is stagnant.

Veteran Travel Weekly reporter, Nadine Goodwin just returned from the region from a  press trip with US travel professionals.

She reported that the famed pyramids of Giza,  for example, which normally attract upwards of 10,000 visitors a day, had but a few tourists.

Apparently  the usual bustle of camels, horses, carriages simply didn't exist, and the hugely popular Light and Sound Show was mostly empty.

But as we have said, the Egyptians are a very resourceful people.

Amr El-Ezabi , the director of the Egyptian Tourism Authority is reportedly already marketing Tahrir Square, the heart of the historic uprising, as a product that "helped push Egypt to Democracy".

El-Ezabi told Goodwin that he senses a tourism rebound among Europeans, and at least the country's tourism problems stem from a positive event, not something negative like terrorism.

Interestingly, according to an Associated Press report on Newser  most Egyptians want their laws to be affected by and linked to the Quran.

But, overall, they are quite moderate in their religious outlook.

And while newly-liberated Islamic parties are poised  make gains in upcoming elections, Egyptians are not prepared to swap democracy for religious extremism

At the same time, only about 20% of Egyptians look favorably upon the United States and, Newser reported, half of Egyptians polled wanted to annul the 1979 peace accord with Israel.

Neither polling result bodes well for a recovery of the country's  critical tourism industry.

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

Yes, I think you're right. Turkey has become something of a model 'proving" that Democracy and Islam can co-exist.

I guess I understand why people raise this question in the first place. But  a reading of the Qu'ran easily reveals progressive, Democratic injunctions, especially in the area of women's rights where, for  and in its time, it was way ahead of Christianity.

Turkey of course is still "dominated" by the military which is a very secular organization, so here to there are tensions between an Islamic-leaning government and strong secular traditions.

Thanks for writing in, Sam

[Sam Scribe]

It is at least possible that if Egypt end up in the hand of the Muslim Brotherhood, then this Islamic government would be more like that of Turkey than that of Iran with regard to tourism. I say that because Egypt, like Turkey, has a history of tourism, a history in which many people have learned to see the connection between the foreign infidels and the economy. Tourism in Egypt, as in Turkey, boosts many industries -- not just hotels, but transportation, retail, manufacturing, agriculture, and yes, security. Is my cautious prediction too optimistic?

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

PS Regarding the travel community's possibly "flaming you" , I have found most of the travel community way to querulous by far and more engaged in description than analysis.

Take any flaming as a compliment...meaning you're likely engaged in creative friction
Allbest

[Kaleel Sakakeeny]

Thanks for your observations and comment, NN. Perhaps because I covered the region for NPR and Christian Science Monitor, and obviously have roots in the region, I seldom see that area just as a travel writer.

I too am optimistic, on the surface. That's easy. But look beneath the surface to the cross currents and questions about long term stability for industry...as we knew it....exist.

We'll engage, as the medical community says, in "watchful waiting."

Cheers

[Northeast News]

Kaleel, I could be wearing blinders, but it seems that every comment I read on Twitter during the Egyptian uprising was 101% optimistic about the future. Travel writers, in particular, were the most confident that nothing could possibly be wrong.

Does nobody remember the French, Russian, Prussian, or Cuban revolutions, none of which ended up the way observers thought they were "supposed" to end up?

Your statement that "neither polling result bodes well..." is an unusually worldly observation from the travel writing community.  

Now I hope the travel writers on this website won't flame me for being too cynical about the uprising's longterm results.