Egypt sees '08 visitor numbers up 19% to 13mn

SELLING THEM DOWN THE RIVER: The Nile Valley (pictured) and the Red Sea resorts have seen a massive increse in tourist numbers in the last decade. (Getty Images)

Egypt expects to receive about 13 million visitors in 2008, 19 percent more than in 2007, a Tourism Ministry official said on Wednesday.

Income from tourism in 2008 will be $11.6 billion, 23 percent up on 2007, added the official, who was confirming a newspaper report quoting Tourism Minister Zoheir Garrana.

The figures suggest a slight deceleration in the rate of growth of the Egyptian tourist industry.

In the financial year 2007/8, which ended in June 2008, the number of visitors rose 25 percent and the income from tourism rose 32 percent.

Investment bank EFG-Hermes said it had a lower forecast.

"Our forecast for tourist arrivals is more conservative: we expect them to reach 12.1 million in 2008," the bank said in a report.

The prediction of 19 percent growth to 13 million also did not match official monthly figures released during 2007, which showed a cumulative total that year of 9.736 million visitors.

But the ministry official, who asked not to be named, said the correct figure for 2007 was in fact 11.2 million.

Egyptian officials have said the country's economic growth could slow in part because of weaker global economies translating into fewer tourists visiting Egypt.

Tourism accounts for about 6 percent of Egypt's gross domestic product. (Reuters)

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