Egypt has sought to reassure travellers that it is “business as usual” despite ongoing political unrest across the country.
The Egyptian State Tourist Office described the current political developments as being of a “temporary nature” and “quite expected during this transition of the Egyptian revolution”.
The statement was issued against a backdrop of continuing protests in Cairo ahead of a planned referendum from President Mohammed Morsi on Saturday to ratify a new constitution. There were also protests in the cities of Alexandria and Assiut, the BBC reported.
The tourist office said: “The Ministry of Tourism takes this opportunity to reassure its international tourism partners as well as its guests that these political developments do not affect services rendered to tourists and that business is as usual where Egyptians are keen to welcome their guests throughout the country.”
It pointed out that tourist arrivals to Egypt between January and September were up 20.2% over the same period last year.
“The tourism industry in Egypt – resilient as ever – continues to develop, plan and move ahead with a number of calculated new products such as the reoperation of the Nile Cruises after a halt period of more than 15 years,” the tourist office said.
The Kebbash Road connecting Luxor Temple with Karnak Temple will be reopened to visitors in March 2013, as well as new measures to renovate the Pyramids area, it announced.
“All touristic sites in Egypt are fully open to visitors as usual,” the tourist office added.
The develoments “reflect the vast interest and support the current government of Egypt attaches to the tourism industry as one of the main pillars of the Egyptian national economy”.