Sidebar: Iran + Islamic tourism
Egypt is aiming to attract 200,000 Iranian tourists who could generate revenues of $250 million a year initially if they come to Egypt but only amid tight security regulations, said Hisham Zaazou, Egyptian tourism minister, said in a press conference in Dubai ahead of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM).
“Egypt should take a piece of this pie,” he said. “Shiite sites are not in the [tourism] programme. We are not talking of Iran’s religious tourism to Egypt. We are talking about Egyptian temples and Sharm Al Shaikh.”
Salafists have voiced opposition to normalising relations with Iran, saying it could lead to the growth of Shia’ism in Egypt. On 1 April, more than 50 Iranians — the first official group to visit Egypt for tourism in decades — arrived in Upper Egypt amid tight security. The visit came as part of a bilateral tourism agreement signed in February.
“The [Iranian tourism] file is not closed. We are in continued communication,” Zaazou said.
Asked about the opening of dry hotels in Egypt, Zaazou said: “Islamic tourism is not the prominent kind of tourism in Egypt. It is not a subtraction of conventional tourism, it’s an add on… bikinis are still welcomed in Egypt and booze is still served,” he said, adding that licences are granted for dry hotels because they are commercial ventures.
