The recent revolution in Egypt has cost its economy dear but to the visitor, excitement at the political changes appears to be running high, eclipsing any sense of loss.

Almost everyone you meet – from the Minister for Tourism and the Chairman of Egyptair Airlines to the tourist guide at the famous pyramids in Cairo – says the revolution was well worth the damage and that things can only get better now.

“Any popular movement impacts the economy….there is no doubt that it has been affected,” said Mr Mounir Fakhry Abdelnour, Minister for Tourism. The Egyptian stock market had to be closed for some time and inward investments had slowed to a trickle.

“But honestly Egypt is in a much better state now than before the revolution. We will have rule of law. Corruption will be limited. Crony capitalism will end and there will be a more healthy climate for investment and development.”

Egypt was rocked by a huge and spontaneous movement starting January 25. The 18-day uprising forced the then President, Mr Hosni Mubarak, to resign on February 11. The movement is now demanding free elections for a democratic government.

Mr Abdelnour has his hands full. Tourist arrivals have currently plunged by 40 per cent, compared with the previous year. What with 11.5 per cent of the country's GDP coming from tourism and, more importantly, one in seven persons living directly or indirectly off this industry, the Minister says he has to “strategise and think out of the box.”

“Egypt is safe and extremists represent a minuscule proportion of the movement,” he said, exhorting the visiting Indian media group, sponsored by Egyptian Tourism, to travel around and see for ourselves that the revolution has been a peaceful one.

Many countries issued travel advisories warning their citizens against visiting Egypt and Mr Abdelnour and his team have been working overtime to get this reversed.

In the first two weeks of the upheaval itself Mr Abdelnour had got in touch with country ambassadors to Egypt, starting with long negotiations with Russia.

Russian tourists are the largest in number and they find Egypt a reasonably priced, warm weather destination, he said. Excluding visitors from other Arabic countries, the English, German, Italian and French tourists also flock the country.

That tourism is affected is obvious.

At the Red Sea resort of Sharm-al-Sheikh, row upon row of colourful open air bars and hookah joints with Moroccan floor seating are nearly empty. (In normal times it is impossible to find seats here, said the bar managers.)

On the cruise down the Nile with a Tanura (whirling dance), a belly dancing and band performances, the boat is only half full. An employee at a five-star hotel said the occupancy rate there was barely 10 per cent.

Subsidies to chartered airlines if they arrive even half full, and subsidies to tour operators for promotional expenses have also been extended by Egypt Tourism.

“It is sad,” said Mr R. Swaminathan, the Indian Ambassador to Egypt.

“In season you would not find a single empty seat on these cruises. Indian tourism to Egypt had been growing 30 per cent year-on-year for the last two-three years, he said.

“1.4 lakh Indians visited last year. And Indian visitors here have been high value, preferring the more expensive cruises and the like to beach tourism.”

“Come and see for yourself,” says Capt Ayman Nasser, Chairman of Egyptair whose organisation has been operating most of its flights, even with a low passenger load factor through the upheaval.

“Our losses have been $80 million every month since the revolution. We insisted on being there even with the load factor. We had to take the difficult decision. We wanted to create the feeling that if Egyptair is there then Egypt is also there. It cost us a lot.”

“Call me and tell me if you saw something unusual or felt uncomfortable,” he told the Indian media group.

“It is in the mind. Egypt is secure and the sun is continuously shining here.”

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