Tourism industry reports signs of recovery

Описание: (25 Jun 2018) LEADIN:
International visitors are beginning to return to Egypt after staying away in recent years.
Workers in the the ancient city of Aswan have noticed signs of recovery for the beleaguered tourism industry.
STORYLINE:
The tranquil setting of the River Nile - an ideal location to relax and unwind?
Aswan has long been a popular holiday destination. But the 2011 uprising and militant attacks in Egypt scared visitors away from the country.
According to the official statistics agency, 8.3 million tourists visited Egypt in 2017, compared to 15 million in 2010.
But now there are signs that travellers are beginning to return to this ancient city.
In the village of Gharb Soheil, tourists are taking in the sights again, finding the perfect place for a selfie.
And security concerns are far from their minds.
"We have been very happy here, people are very friendly, it is very safe, we feel very welcome here," says American tourist Paul Gatley.
It's good news for tourism workers whose business almost vanished in the post-2011 political turmoil.
"Thanks to God this year the tourism is getting better. It is a good season and people are starting to feel that Egypt is a good and safe place," says tour guide Ahmed Gomaa.
Street trader Mohamed Abo Hisham says this has been his best year since 2011.
"There are tourists here now and it is much better than before," he says.
The United Nations' World Tourism Organisation ranked Egypt the second-fastest growing tourist destination of 2017.
Egyptian Tourism Minister Rania el-Mashat said in April that the number of tourists visiting Egypt had jumped by 30 percent during the first quarter of 2018 compared to the same period last year.
And the people of Aswan have good reason to be optimistic - this area has lot of attractions that appeal to foreign travellers.
There are the traditional Nubian settlements, museums and the Aswan Dam.
And this boat is taking tourists to Philae temple.
A gentle sail brings them to the shoes of an island and a monument built thousands of years ago to honour the goddess Isis.
Here they can get up close to hieroglyphs carved into the walls by ancient hands.
Egypt's government has tried to lure tourists back by promoting new archaeological discoveries and boosting security around historical sites.
And there are no regrets for the intrepid few who have decided to come here.
"Aswan is just a holy city, it is perfect, you wake up beautiful in the morning, you hear the prayer, you feel blessed," says tourist Ells lumdikx.
The tourism industry is hoping these first signs of recovery continue to grow.

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