Egyptian Interior Ministry says Red Sea resorts safe
CAIRO. February 8. KAZINFORM Egypt's top resort areas in the south of the Sinai Peninsula, including Sharm el-Sheikh, are absolutely safe for foreign tourists, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.
Egypt, whose economy largely depends on tourism, is in difficulty after the flow of tourists ceased during the recent anti-government riots in major cities. Tourism creates about 11% of the country's jobs.
"Sharm el-Sheikh is absolutely safe," the EGYnews portal quoted a top Interior Ministry official as saying.
Tourism officials from various European states inspected the resort areas and discovered they were not affected by the unrest.
"Tourists from those states will start arriving in Egypt in large numbers soon," the official said.
Egypt has seen huge protests since January 25, with protestors demanding President Hosni Mubarak step down.
More than 300 people have been killed and some 5,000 injured in riots throughout the country, with the largest demonstrations seen in the country's capital of Cairo.
Tourism experts said the unrest bode ill for the country's 2011 tourist season. At the moment, hotels are about 20% full; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti.
See www.en.rian.ru