Half a million Polish tourists visited Egypt in 2012, and the number is expected to increase in 2013, stated Minister of Tourism Hisham Zaazou on Wednesday.

Zaazou, speaking during a press conference with the Polish tourism minister in Egypt, said that Poland is becoming one of the top five countries sending tourists to Egypt.

Poles prefer beach tourism, and the Egyptian government should continue facilitating their entry to the country, Zaazou said.

Polish minister Katarzyna Sobierajska said that Egypt is one of the safest tourism destinations for Polish visitors.

German tourists travelling to Egypt reached 500,000 in the first half of 2012, a rise of 33.6 per cent on the same period in the previous year, according to official figures.

Around 10.5 million tourists visited Egypt in the first 11 months of 2012, a 17 per cent increase on the same period last year, generating some $9.4 billion, which was a slight increase over the $9 billion seen in 2011.

Earlier this month, a number of foreign governments advised their nationals to exercise increasing caution when travelling to Egypt due to political unrest and street protests taking place around the anniversary of the January 25 revolution.