During the first half of the current year 2020, revenues from the tourism sector in Egypt declined by about 55%, compared to the same period last year 2019, according to a report issued by the World Tourism Organization this week, and the reason for this decline was attributed to the precautionary measures and closure policies that most countries adopted. To it, to confront the “Corona pandemic”, including the cessation of global tourism.

While the World Tourism Organization report showed that the number of flights to Egypt decreased by 69.5% during the first eight months of 2020 on an annual basis, it confirmed that the “Corona pandemic” severely hit the global travel and tourism sector in general, with the decisions of many countries to close their borders to control… On the spread of the epidemic, which has claimed the lives of more than a million people so far, it also confirmed that global tourism recorded a significant decline of 70% during the first eight months of this year.

Growth halted by the pandemic

During the past three years, Egypt has witnessed a growth in its tourism revenues, which are considered one of the country’s most important sources of foreign currency, as the numbers of tourists also increased significantly, following their sharp decline due to the unrest that Egypt has witnessed since 2011, bringing tourism revenues to $13 billion in 2019. Compared to about $11.6 billion in 2018, and about $7.8 billion in 2017.

Egypt advanced as a preferred destination for tourists, in the World Tourism Organization’s ranking, to 34th place last year, compared to 36th place in 2018, and the average revenues from one tourist in Egypt also increased to $1,000 during 2019, compared to about $940 in 2017, until “ Corona pandemic” to dissipate most of the gains achieved by the tourism sector in Egypt over the last three years.

What happened to the major countries?

The United States of America came at the top of the global list in terms of tourism revenues, during the period before the emergence of the Corona virus, as it recorded revenues amounting to about 214.1 billion dollars in 2019, with a significant difference from Spain, which came in second place, with revenues amounting to 79.7 billion dollars. dollars, then France in third place with a total of $63.8 billion.

But with the spread of the epidemic, which hit large parts of North America and Europe strongly, United States revenues fell in the first eight months of the current year by 53.8%, and France’s revenues also fell by about 46.8%. As for Spain, it recorded a sharp decline in Its tourism revenues increased by more than 72.2% during the first seven months of this year.

Government support until April

At the beginning of last October, the Egyptian government decided to continue policies to support and stimulate the tourism sector, which include exemption from paying visa fees for tourists arriving in the governorates of South Sinai, the Red Sea, Luxor, and Aswan, until April 30, 2021, and the regular disbursement of the subsidy provided by the emergency fund to workers in the Ministry of Manpower from April, until December 2020.

The incentives also included renewing approval to postpone the payment of dues from companies, tourist and hotel establishments, for the consumption of electricity, gas, water and government fees, or for services and usage fees due from companies, tourist and hotel establishments until the end of the year, and postponing the payment of all debts owed by companies and tourist and hotel establishments for periods of time. Before the beginning of the “Corona pandemic” crisis.