The Ministry of Tourism said it will launch a new website on Sunday in cooperation with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, according to a statement issued by the ministry.
The new site is designed to communicate with all affiliates and employees in the sector and those interested in Egyptian resorts in the global market, according to an official in the Ministry of Tourism.
The official said that the website is expected to promote tourism to Egypt in European and Arab markets, as well as the domestic market.
He added that all data on the sector will be included on the website, in terms of beach tourism, cultural tourism, safaris, the number of tourists visiting Egypt, and revenue per year.
Many of those employed in the tourism sector have complained recently of not being able to obtain the data and figures related to tourism in Egypt, which has led to problems in marketing operations.
Elhamy El-Zayat, former chairperson of the Egyptian Tourism Federation, said that data and statistics are of great importance to tourism workers. He noted it has been difficult for him to obtain them, hoping the new website will make the process easier.
Tourism accounted for 11.3% of GDP in 2011, but that number has been in decline over the past five years amid political turmoil.
Egypt lost about 80% of its tourism revenue during the first half of 2016, due to the continued suspension of Russian and British flights since October last year following the Russian aeroplane crash in Sinai.
Egypt achieved its peak in tourism revenue in 2010, when income totaled $12.5bn. In 2013, that figure dropped to $5.9bn.
Tourism workers expect income will continue in its low trend for the remainder of the year, with estimates at less than $3bn, according to El-Zayat.
The Ministry of Tourism launched a Sub-Accounts Unit in 2008 to prepare statistics and calculations relating to numbers of nights spent by tourists, as well as revenue, spending rates, and accommodation. The unit is headed by Adla Ragab.
Ragab said that the unit provides all the data related to the industry through standards sponsored by the World Tourism Organisation, noting that Egypt is the only country in the region that adopts these criteria in the measurement of tourism indicators.
