(Report) - Could Egypt's Legendary and Lucrative Tourism Industry Be Devastated?

(Photo: Tourists riding camels @Egypt's Giza Pyramids. File) (HN-1/30/11) – Cairo, Egypt.  As parts of the Egyptian capital go up in smoke so too is the country’s lucrative and crucial tourism industry. 

“It could take us two years to return to the level we’re at right now“, said the manager of one of Cairo’s 5-star hotels.

He added that while other previous events did little to the harm the industry – such as the April 2006 attack on Jewish tourists in Dahab; and the January 2010 shooting of Coptic Christian bus tourists in Upper Egypt; they had nowhere near the `in your face’ factor of the current uprisings – which have seen Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and many other major tourist sites transformed into veritable war zones.

Egypt has six thousand years of recorded history. Ancient Egypt was among the earliest civilizations on the planet.  For millennia, Egypt maintained a strikingly complex and stable culture that influenced later cultures of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.  Beginning in the early 19th century — from when Napoleon’s French forces invaded Egypt — interest in Egyptology and the ancient world spread across the world; culminating with the modern tourism industry which began with the findings by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922 of King Tut’s tomb which urged this fascination laying the foundations for the modern tourism industry in the country.

Because much of the violence occurred just steps away from many of Cairo’s major hotels many tourists and business travelers were exposed to tear gas, horrifying scenes of vandalism and even live fire. The site of tanks and the sounds of jet fighters and helicopters have scared the living daylights out of many tourist visitors.

(Photo: Cairo International Airport, Courtesy WikipediaHUMNEWS spent the day visiting many tourist sites, hotel and visitor locations and found long lines of rattled tourists rushing to catch planes out of the country. Many had arrived here on prepaid vacations that were abruptly cut short when the chaos began to escalate after Friday’s mass demonstration.

Several countries including Turkey, India, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Japan, and the US will begin evacuating their citizens Monday.

As recently as Saturday many luxury hotels in Cairo were already operating low - below the 20% occupancy level. Normally the average rate of occupancy during season is about 75%. The manager of one international chain property in Central Cairo said he may temporarily close his 366 room hotel on the Corniche El Nil. This same manager said he was attacked by armed men Saturday evening while attempting to drive home.

As the chaos continues to spiral out of control, the iconic Nile River, the longest river in the world, has gone from being a virtual water highway to an empty expanse for miles. Grand tourist boats and elegant Falukas are all docked along the banks of the river because of a lack of business – increasing as the days goes on - and a restrictive nighttime curfew – also more constrained by the day.

Many hotels are struggling to maintain service standards as employees strain to make it to work and (Photo: Cruise ships on the Nile River, Courtesy Wikipedia)supplies run short.

Because of widespread looting hotel managers are going to unprecedented measures to secure their properties at night. The Four Seasons Cairo at the First Residence in the Giza district boarded up its entrance way, turned off lights and drew curtains at dusk. The Grand Hyatt Hotel on the opposite side of the river – and much closer to the protests in Tahrir Square – hastily barricaded its entrance with banquet tables and chairs. Most of its popular food and beverage outlets including the Hard Rock Café Cairo were shuttered.

The widespread fear is not misplaced. In the last few days several shops, malls and even some hotels were attacked and looted by roving groups of looters. Some had even managed to breach security at the extremely popular Egyptian National Museum in Central Cairo and damage some of the ancient displays. And since for the first time since anyone can recall the Giza Pyramids have been closed indefinitely.  So has the Cairo Zoo also located in Giza. Because most of the police have disappeared off the streets of cities, a sense of lawlessness has taken hold.

The tourism industry is one of the largest income industries for Egypt – bringing in an estimated $11.6bn (£7.3bn) in last year and employing about 12 percent of Egypt's workforce.  Last year more than 13 million people visited Egypt, drawn by its stunning beaches, ancient sites, value for money and relatively safe reputation. The US, the UK, Europe, the Arab Gulf states and Russia are the top markets for the industry. The Sinai Peninsula is renowned for its azure waters and is a popular tourist destination for Israeli tourists.

(Photo: Sphinx at Alexandria, Courtesy Wikipedia)The harsh blow to the tourism industry comes as many new hotel properties are being built and are coming online in Cairo and Alexandria, and the expansion of the international airports in both Cairo and Alexandria are nearing completion.

Because of its rich history and well developed tourism infrastructure, Egypt has become a magnet for retired, well-heeled Western travelers. HUMNEWS spoke to many visiting couples in the last few days, many forced to cut short their dream vacation. One American couple from New Hampshire arrived in Cairo on Friday only to be told that their excursion to Upper Egypt had been cancelled and that they would have to depart the country less than 48 hours after arriving.

The crisis escalates.

The first priority of many visitors today was to leave the country as soon as possible. However a quick exit has been complicated by a complete nationwide shutdown of the internet.  Mobile phone text messaging has also been constrained.  Tour operators who rely on internet for bookings have been completely paralyzed.

The national flagship airline carrier – Egypt Air is completely overwhelmed by the crisis. Its website has crashed and many travelers complain that accessing the call center is nearly impossible. The ongoing curfew which will be extended Monday from 3p-8a means the carrier will have to adjust its flight schedule once again.

The curfew and information vacuum have forced many tourists to make a mad dash to the airport to catch flights home. Most arrive to Cairo International Airport to find impossibly long lines, delayed or cancelled flights and few check-in staff. There have also been complaints from stranded American and Canadian travelers for not being able to reach consular assistance lines of their home countries by telephone.

In addition to the tourists the country has a large expatriate population of mostly Thai, Sudanese, Eritrean, Somali and Iraqi. Many of whom are also wondering what to do. Stay, or go?

When HUMNEWS visited Cairo International Airport Sunday it was a complete scene of confusion – many travelers have been forced to stay overnight because of the curfew and cancelled flights.  Many Egypt Air aircraft have been parked on remote aprons of the airfield as demand for flights to and from Egypt have taken a fall.

Monday is again another work day in Egyptand it could be another day of unrest. For tourists, it still remains a day to try to leave this troubled country.

-        By HUMNEWS Michael Bociurkiw in Cairo who has only hotel TV and hard line and mobile phone; no internet or SMS, as told to HUM staff.