4.2 billion dollars in Egyptian tourism; ambitious goals set

Mamdouh El-Beltagi, the Egyptian tourism minister said there was an increase in Egypt's "tourism income for year 1999 to nearly 4.2 dollars and an increase in the tourist numbers who visited Egypt to 5 million."

This came in an open interview between El-Beltagi and visitors of Cairo international book fair.

El-Beltagi added that "the outcome of year 1999 forms a great achievement in the history Egyptian tourism including the last climax years especially year 1997 in which the tourists reached 4 million ones with an income of 2 billion dollars," adding that there is a plan for increase tourist numbers to 9.5 billion in year 2005 so that income from tourism will reach 34 billion dollars.