Al Jazeera: The Lonely Pyramids of Giza and Egyptian Tourism’s Decline

Egypt, reeling from years of political unrest and mounting terrorism, must also deal with a decline in tourism. Before 2011, the country welcomed more than 14 million tourists annually. Then the Arab Spring protests swelled in 2011, deposing Hosni Mubarak, followed by a coup in 2013 that removed President Mohamed Morsi and suspended the constitution. Today, the number of tourists has dropped to less than 5 million. The country’s world-famous Great Pyramids of Giza have seen record low visitors, although tourism was looking up at the start of 2017. The recent Palm Sunday bombings of two Coptic Christian churches may hit the tourism sector once again. The visitors who do still come to Egypt claim that terrorism can strike in any corner of the world and shouldn’t stop people from traveling. Yet the decline for Egypt has been steep and, with it, the economic benefits of world travelers have all but dried up. UNESCO expresses concern that Egypt will struggle to continue conservation efforts at the Pyramids because of the loss of tourism revenue. Tour guides remain hopeful that travelers will soon return. – YaleGlobal