A day after Hamas launched its attack on Israel, an Egyptian policeman reportedly killed three people, including two tourists from Israel, sparking safety concerns among tourists visiting Egypt.
Although many Egyptian travel and tour operators have been hesitant to comment on the current situation, thenationalnews.com received a statement from a local tour guide who wished to remain anonymous.
According to the guide, cruise passengers who typically disembark during stopovers in Alexandria have chosen to remain on board since the recent conflict. This has led to fewer visitors in Cairo, he says, as before the conflict, many of the cruisegoers would take a bus to spend a day in the capital during the stopover.
Another resident also said that, following the incident, some tourists scrambled to leave Nuweibaa, a coastal town in the Sinai Peninsula that borders Israel. Business owners now expect many tourists will be afraid to come back, at least until the war is over.
Adham Ghoniem, an Egyptian travel agent, said hotels he worked with had been reporting multiple cancellations and guests shortening their trips, while big tour operators also experienced many cancellations.
If this continued, it would have a significant impact on the country’s tourism-driven economy as tourism accounted for about 12% of its GDP, said the central bank.
