Months after the revolution, the authorities are looking at tourism as imperative to Egypt's economic revival.

"Welcome to the land of peaceful revolution" is the slogan promoted to attract tourists, alluding to the peaceful nature of the transformation.

"Egypt is ready to receive any number of tourists and ensure their safety," Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdul Nour said recently in a interview with Kuwaiti newspaper Al Seyassah.

"Figures show that tourism activity is reviving and getting back to its normal rates."

Thousands of tourists and expatriates left Egypt during the days of the January 25 revolution. Huge tourism revenues vanished, a night-time curfew was imposed and many stayed indoors because they could not go to work.

Hope of good season

On June 15 the night-time curfews imposed by the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, were lifted, raising hopes of a good tourism season.

"I expect the number of tourists will jump back to its normal level by the beginning of this season in September and October," Abdul Nour said.

According to official figures, 800,000 tourists visited Egypt in April, down from 1.24 million in the same month last year.

Overall, official estimates predict that nearly 11 million tourists will visit Egypt in 2011, down from 14.8 million last year.

Accordingly, tourism revenue for the year may also drop to $10 billion (Dh36.7 billion), down from $12.5 billion in 2010.

Egypt must act quickly to revive the industry which is so vital to the economy, says Dr Marcus L. Stephenson, Chair of Research Committee and Associate Professor of Tourism Management at Middlesex University in Dubai. "It is the low-paid workers who are immediately affected by conflict and unrest. In the tourism industry this would be hotel workers, taxi drivers and souvenir sellers, and a range of other tourism operatives, all those who wholeheartedly depend on tourists for economic survival," Stephenson wrote in an article on the tourism "awakening" in the Arab region.

Egypt's ‘2020 vision' targets attracting 25 million tourists. The tourism sector is vital to the economy and is a high priority.

"Its importance can be seen from the fact that every seventh Egyptian's livelihood depends directly or indirectly on tourism earnings. It contributes roughly 11.5 per cent to 12 per cent to the country's GDP," said Abdul Nour in another recent interview.