Egyptian hotels have acquired 95 permits to hold New Year's parties, according to Tourism Undersecretary Osama al-Ashry. Permits are valid until Sunday.
There will be 26 parties in Hurghada, 23 in Sharm el-Sheikh, 20 in Luxor, 15 in Giza and 11 in Cairo. The numbers are expected to increase in the next few days.
This figure is considered a leap compared to last year, when New Year's parties almost disappeared according to Ashry.
Hotel occupancy rates have also rebounded. They have not yet reached the same rates as the peak in 2010, but compared to the same period last year they are improving.
The occupancy rate reached 48 percent in Sharm el-Sheikh, 54 percent in Hurghada and 40 percent in Cairo.
The parties have normalized since the ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood, in Ahsry's opinion. In spite of threats made by MB leaders, Egyptian tourist destinations began to regain the confidence of tourists.
He pointed out that the adoption of the constitution in the coming period and the start of constitutional legitimacy will have a significant impact on tourism.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
