It is only a matter of time until Egypt’s tourism figures rise again, according to Macquarie University’s resident Egyptologist Professor Boyo Ockinga.
The professor told e-Travel Blackboard at Egypt Consulate’s ‘Ongoing legacy of Tutankhamun’ evening that the appeal of Egypt and its history will always excite travellers.
“Once the political situation settles and once the government situation is stabilised things will settle and people will go back,” Prof. Ockinga said.
“The attraction is always going to be there, even if there is slight uncertainty.”
According to figures released by the Consulate in Sydney, up to three million people cancelled their bookings into Egypt between February to April as fear still resides among travellers after the political disruption earlier this year.
However, tourists have nothing to fear, Professor Naguid Kanawati said during the evening because visitors are not and never were the target.
“It was a revolution against a regime, not against foreigners,” Prof. Kanawati said.
Among Prof. Kanawati’s biggest regret after the January uprising, was his decision to evacuate as unrest began on the streets, forcing him to miss out on four weeks during his six week research period.
“We thought it was unsafe but it wasn’t,” he explained.
The Consulate confessed that safety was “the key” to attracting travellers back into the country, but is also anticipating that the Tutankhamun and the Golden Ages exhibition in Melbourne Museum will also “impress” Aussies.
“While it is justified to feel uncertain about security in a country that has undergone major political changes, it is only fair to recognise that the situation in Egypt is in the process of settling down,” a statement from the Consulate read.
“We hope this special envoy (Tutankhamun exhibition) succeeds in extending a warm invitation to all Australians to visit his homeland and we are equally hopeful that Egypt’s tourism industry will be able to fully recover from the impact of the revolution.”
The exhibition showcases 50 pieces from the Pharaoh’s 3,000 year old tomb which was discovered untouched and preserved in 1922.
Melbourne is the only Asia-Pacific city chosen for the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age tour and will depart in October, after which it will make its way to the new museum currently in development in Egypt.
Quality Accommodation at Metro Apartments on Bank Place, Melbourne
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