Egypt received one million tourists in July, 8.3 per cent more than the 936,000 it received the previous year, but still 300,000 less than in July 2010, largely as a result of the revolution early last year, government statistical agency CAPMAS reported on Wednesday.

Tourists came mainly from Western Europe, followed by Eastern Europe and then the Middle East, spending a total of 11.4 million nights in-country – 7.8 per cent more than in July of last year and 10.6 per cent less than in July 2010.

According to CAPMAS, Egypt welcomed 218,000 tourists from Arab countries in July 2012 – 0.4 per cent more than in July 2011, but less than the 306,000 that came in July 2010.

Arab tourists spent 3.3 million nights in Egypt in July of this year, 7.6 per cent less than in July of the previous year. The number of nights spent by Arab tourists in July 2010 stood at 3.2 million, slightly less than those seen in July of this year.

The average number of nights spent by Arab tourists in Egypt stood at 12.4 in July of this year, compared to 11.9 nights last year and 11.5 the year before last.

2012 appears promising for Egypt’s struggling tourism sector. The 16.12 per cent more tourists received in June 2012 compared to June 2011 represent a positive indicator of the country’s long-awaited recovery.

Former tourism minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel-Nour has predicted 12 million visitors to Egypt by year-end, representing a 23 per cent increase on the previous year.

In August, CAPMAS reported that the number of tourists coming to Egypt had reached 5.08 million during the first half of the year.