Confidence Builder

In this week’s issue of Travel Courier, Ian Stalker reports that Egypt is rolling out the welcome carpet for tourists these days but tour operators are divided as to how many Canadians are responding.

The Egyptian government has begun an aggressive international campaign to win back those visitors who have been avoiding the country during an often tumultuous past couple of years, with the government eager to rebuild a tourist trade that for much of the past decade has generated huge revenues for the country.

“The Ministry of Tourism has campaigns to assure travellers that Egypt’s waiting for its friends,” says Sally Mikhail of Toronto-area GM Tours, who predicts that winter will be “very positive …We are very optimistic for the coming year.”

Winter is traditionally Egypt’s peak tourism season.

Mikhail says the new Egyptian government has been doing an “amazing job” when it comes to tourist safety and more confident international travellers in turn are returning, with European visitations, for instance, on the upswing.

Mikhail suggests that those leery about visiting Egypt should “watch the news,” learning what the situation there is.

For the full story, check out this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier by clicking here.