30 % rise in Arab tourism last year

Egyptian Minister of Tourism Mamdouh Al-Beltagui said that 4.6 million foreign tourists visited Egypt last year against 5.5 million in the year 2000 which indicates that Egyptian tourism is negatively affected as other world countries in the wake of September, 11 incidents.

However, Al-Beltagui pointed out that Arab tourism to Egypt rose recently by 30% following President Mubarak visit to the Gulf and his directives to dispatch Egyptian promoting missions to these countries.

On the other hand, the Canadian Foreign Ministry has cancelled restrictions on traveling to Egypt within the framework of advice on traveling outside Canada in the wake of the September 11 events in the United States.

This came in a message received Wednesday by Al-Beltagui from Canada's Ambassador to Egypt Michel de Salaberry with the context of contacts held by Beltagui with a number of ambassadors in Cairo to positively change advice on travel to Egypt.

Canadian embassy members are giving positive assistance to Canadians who wished to travel to Egypt at that time which made a large number of tourist group come to Egypt as they planned, the Canadian diplomat said.

Beltagui addressed a letter of thanks to the Canadian ambassador for his swift response and for taking such measures.

"The last travel advice bulletin, issued by the Canadian Foreign Ministry on December 11, was very positive and asserted that the situation in Egypt is very calm and there is no reason for restricting travel to Egypt in the meantime," the minister said.