Egypt tourism numbers up in 2012
The number of tourists visiting Egypt recovered sharply in 2012 following the uprising in 2011, but tourism levels are still far from 2010 levels, according to Egyptian officials.
Around 11.5 million travellers visited Egypt last year, up 17% from 9.8 million in 2011. Western Europeans were the largest group of visitors, followed by Eastern Europeans and tourists from the Middle East.
While the news was welcomed, it was also acknowledged that there were challenges ahead to achieve the 2010 levels of around 14.7 million tourists.