Egypt reopened its pyramids of Giza to the public on Wednesday after a three-month closure, to restart a major tourism industry battered by the new coronavirus.
The pyramids were the first tourist charm in the country to reopen, with the Egyptian museum next to Cairo’s Tahrir Square, 0 point of the 2011 revolution.
“We arrived at the Pyramids because they opened after being closed for a long time,” Ashiana Love, an Australian tourist on the site, told AFP.
“Power is special.”
The most populous Arab country imposed a three-month curfew after its first COVID-19 infection on 14 February.
It has closed museums and archaeological sites such as shops, cafes and restaurants to involve the epidemic.
It has recorded more than 68,000 cases and only about 3,000 deaths.
But tour consultant Fatma Bayoumy said he reassured her through tighter security measures on the site.
The pandemic has been a major blow to Egypt’s tourism industry, which accounts for one-fifth of GDP and employs some 3 million people.
The sector has endured a decade of turmoil since the overthrow in 2011 of lifelong dictator Hosni Mubarak, with fatal jihadist attacks and political instability that many tourists die.
But it had recovered to register record visitor numbers — around 13.6 million in 2019.
The country’s tourism minister, Khaled El-Enani, told AFP earlier this month that the central bank had allocated up to 50 billion Egyptian pounds ($3 billion) in loans to the sector.
The Inquirer Foundation supports our leaders in the fitness industry and still accepts donations of money to deposit in the Golden Bank Current Account (BDO) – 007960018860 or to make a donation through PayMaya at this link.
We use cookies for the most productive delight on our website. By continuing, you are satisfied with our use of cookies. For more information, click this link.