Minister of Tourism Mounir Fakhri Abdel Nour announced Friday that he has asked the government to carry out the trial of former President Hosni Mubarak away from the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, as the trial would have a negative impact on tourism in the city.
The minister considers the presence of Mubarak in Sharm el-Sheikh a "high risk,” and called for the relocation of the trial.
Although tourism in Sharm el-Sheikh recovers relatively quickly, the continuation of protests and the fragile security situation will have a negative impact, he continued, especially considering news of a possible million-strong demonstration to take place in the city.
He added that if security recovers and Mubarak is tried in another place, Egypt will get 10 million tourists and profit US$10.1 billion from tourism by the end of 2011.
He added that the decline in tourism after the revolution was similarly gradual, noting that the decline was 80, 60, 25, and 28 percent, respectively, in February, March, April and May. He said the decline is expected to reach 20 percent in July.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
