Some 45 cases of Covid-19 were detected on a Nile cruise ship traveling between Luxor and Aswan, according to Egypt’s Health Ministry on Friday. This announcement raised concerns concerns over the future of tourism in Egypt, more specifically in Luxor and Aswan.
Commenting on this announcement, Chairperson of the Committee for Marketing Cultural Tourism in Upper Egypt Mohamed Osman said that the impact of the announcement is limited in terms of the incoming tourist movement. He indicated that the rate of reservation cancellation in Egypt is minor.
Osman continued that the committee is closely following tourism sector developments in light of Covid-19, stressing that things are still normal as usual, especially due to the support Egypt receives from tourism decision-makers around the world. This is also the result of the World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) continued support to Egypt.
He explained further that the UNWTO supports Egyptian tourist destinations due the transparent measures taken by the state in cooperation with the World Health Organization.
Osman pointed out that Egypt’s tourism sector, with all its various categories, has raised its safety measures, whether at the human or facility level, and is closely monitored by the government.
He stressed that society should not be intimidated, but should also not underestimate the epidemic.
The committee warned against circulating any undocumented information on Egyptian tourism websites and social media, so to not dissuade people from coming.
In that context, Osman explained that tourism is greatly affected by rumours and information based on tourist destinations, stressing the need for the community to be critical of the accuracy of data on Covid-19. The only entity in Egypt that has accurate and updated information on the epidemic is the ministry of Health.
