Egypt's new government is pumping LE35 million to stimulate domestic tourism as part of the 2014/2015 fiscal year budget, which starts in July, said Magdy Selim, head of the domestic tourism department at the Tourism Promotion Authority.
The number of Egyptian expatriates who visited Egypt from January until April 2014, according to the statistics of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism, was about 1.2 million.
Selim added in a press statement that the Ministry of Tourism developed a plan to stimulate domestic tourism in the coming period through festivals and cultural and sports events in various Egyptian cities starting July.
Among these events is the Rally of the Pharaohs, organized by Egypt annually.
"About LE2 million is allocated in the new budget for the event," Selim said. "The ministry will also announce several offers at discounted prices to encourage Egyptians to visit different cities."
Selim added that the ministry is raising awareness of the importance of domestic tourism among Egyptians as a means of stimulating the national economy during the next phase.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
