Israeli government calls for tourists to leave Sinai did not affect tourism, and tourists who accessed Sinai via Taba did not leave, according to Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour.
In a joint press conference with Antiquities Minister Mohamed Ibrahim Ali that followed a ministerial meeting to discuss the resumption of Nile cruises from Cairo to Aswan on Monday, Abdel Nour said heightened security will lead to the return of tourists.
He added that the decision to stop supplying gas to Israel was made for trade reasons and that its impact on tourism was not clear after only 12 hours since the decision was announced.
Ali said that the resumption of the cruises, which have been stopped since 1994, would promote tourism between Cairo and Luxor and show that the security situation in Egypt is improving.
Governors in Upper Egypt are considering arrangements for the trips and will undertake the necessary procedures to secure tourists, in coordination with the interior minister, Ali added.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
