
Tourists at a beach in Egypt (Photo: Reuters)
The Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) member Ahmed Soliman said on Sunday that tourism, particularly beach tourism, would not be restricted within the next five years by the coming parliament.
Speaking at a conference organised by the tourism committee of the Businessmen's Association, Soliman expressed regret that tourism was witnessing regression lately, adding that in the short term, tourism would play the main role in boosting the economy.
He said that the FJP has a plan for developing tourism, such as establishing museums of rare artefacts along the Nile in order to increase tours of the river. In the long run, the party aims to construct a tourism city in Fayoum dependent on sport and health tourism.
Soliman added that the FJP is particularly concerned about tourism. Reda Ghoneim, FJP party secretary in the Red Sea, said that 60 per cent of the party’s members in the Red Sea work in the tourism sector.
He also added that beach tourism should be maximised as Egypt enjoys a geographically strategic location.
The FJP gained the highest number of seats in parliament followed by the Salafist Nour Party.
Fears over the fate of tourism in Egypt have increased with an Islamist dominated parliament, especially as Salafist figures have frequently stated that they will attempt to ban alcohol and bikinis. The Muslim Brotherhood, in turn, have made statements to assure those working in the tourism sector that they will not pursue policies that will adversely affect tourism.
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