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Nasser Nasser / AP
A foreign tourist takes a souvenir picture with an Egyptian guard during a visit to the Hatshepsut Temple, in Luxor, Egypt on Feb. 27, 2013.
Tourists have long flocked to Egypt to see the pyramids, take a trip up the majestic Nile or relax on one of its many sun-kissed beaches.
But, in a potentially damaging blow to its economy, Egypt has now been ranked below countries such as Pakistan, Yemen and Chad for "safety and security" in an influential report on tourism by the World Economic Forum.
It is perhaps little wonder that tourists are spooked — amid ongoing political unrest, Molotov cocktails, gunfire and tear gas have become almost commonplace in some areas.
Thousands of anti-government protesters gathered in Tahrir Square to mark the 2011 uprising that led to Egypt's change in power. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
Two years after the revolution that toppled President Hosni Mubarak, protesters still return to Cairo’s Tahrir Square — where it all began — to demonstrate against the Islamist President Mohamed Morsi and lament the country’s failing economy.
Earlier this month, Bedouin gunmen kidnapped a British couple who were on their way to the glittering beaches of Sharm El Sheikh. They were quickly released, but Bedouins have taken other hostages and also attacked police stations and blocked access to towns to show their discontent with what they see as their poor treatment by Cairo.
Last month, thugs attacked and entered the InterContinental hotel in Cairo, forcing it to close down while it implemented heightened security measures.
And there has been also been unrest over death sentences handed out to 21 soccer fans over a deadly riot at a stadium last year.
From terrorism to road accidents
The World Economic Forum report, The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index 2013, ranked Egypt overall in 85th place out of the 140 countries considered by the group, down 10 from last year.
The safety and security category looked at "the costliness of common crime and violence as well as terrorism." It also considered the reliability of the police and the number of road traffic accidents.
Angry soccer fans took to the streets of Cairo Saturday, storming Egypt's soccer federation headquarters and setting it on fire. Two people were killed. NBC's Lester Holt reports.
Egypt was in 140th and last place on this list behind Yemen at 139, Chad at 138, and Pakistan at 137. The U.S. State Department has current travel warnings for the latter three countries, but not Egypt.
According to the Egypt’s state information service, tourism makes up 11.3 percent of Egypt’s gross domestic product.
In 2010, before the revolution, Egypt welcomed an estimated 14.7 million tourists who brought $12.5 billion in revenue. Last year, it had 11 million tourists bringing $10.5 billion in revenue.
Emile Asaad, manager of an American Express travel agency in the ancient city of Luxor, home to King Tut's tomb and the famous temples of Luxor and Karnak, said that “the important thing is that when people need to walk in the street they want to feel safe."
"We have over 400 boats on the Nile, there is still 20 to 25 percent occupancy on some of the most popular boats, but others are just sitting and not operating," he said. "We don't know how the future looks."
Adla Ragab, an economic advisor to the Egypt’s Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou, said officials were taken aback by the WEF report.
"When we first saw it, we were shocked. We held a lot of workshops to discuss this issue," she said by phone.
Ragab said media reports had led people to believe that Egypt is more dangerous than it actually is. She added that during a trip to the U.S., hotel staff had insisted on escorting her to a nearby restaurant after dark, but that didn’t mean she would advise people not to go to the U.S.
'It's a nice country'
A selection of foreign tourists in Egypt appeared to support Ragab’s view.
"I can say to anybody, go to Egypt! It's a nice country. There [are] so many things to see. It's very good weather, it's warm in the winter and there's no problem," Dirk Posner, of Leipzig, Germany, said while visiting the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Yuan Ye, from Shandong province, China, recommended that tourists use a trusted travel agency and explore the country with a group because of difficulties with facilities and services.
"I think generally it is safe for tourists, but you should be careful, very careful from the peddlers who try to sell you something — force to sell you something," he said with a smile.
Jaffar and Francoise Bentchikou, from Paris, France, also encouraged foreigners to visit.
"We saw that the problems were limited to some places so we just try to avoid them," Jaffar said. "[Tourists] have to be conscious of the situation, but for the time being we have seen nothing against tourists especially."
"We feel very bad about the revenue lost for tourism for the Egyptians," Francoise added. "That is something that makes us very unhappy."
But travel companies said many people were staying away.
Bob Atkinson, a travel expert with the U.K.-based price-comparison website TravelSupermarket.com, said unrest in Egypt had "seriously affected the tourist trade."
"The Arab uprisings very much put the Egypt market into a tailspin," he said.
Flavia Jaber, owner of Toronto-based company Road to Travel, which includes Road to Egypt, said that "our business to Egypt is dead in the water at the moment."
"People are not going to Egypt right now, at least not from North America," she said.
"Definitely there are things going on in Egypt that are very unsavory and when you are considering going on a holiday, you want to go and relax, have a good time," she added. "You might say let’s not go to Egypt this year, let’s wait until things settle down."
However, there was at least one thing in Egypt's favor in the WEF report — the price. The country was ranked the fourth cheapest tourist destination in the world "with competitive hotel prices, low fuel costs and low prices more generally."
Related:
Egypt violence is rooted in the economy, not just politics
Egypt could 'collapse,' army chief warns as violence continues
Leave a Comment:
any place where there are muslims is dangerous. they are a violent gang of sick individuals. i wouldn't go to any middle eastern country. there are plenty more friendly and sane places to visit.
Really? Name them please, I could use a safe friendly place to vacation.
Japan, Vietnam, Russia, England, Phillipenes, Falkland Islands, Antartica, and even China.
It is true that the Egyptian tourist industry is hurting and tourists stay away, but who
scared them away? Is it the riot in Egypt? It depends on which riot you are
talking about, the real riot on the streets of Cairo, or the CNN/BBC versions
of the riot in the air? Of course, most people haven’t been to Egypt, so they turn
to AC360 and they see youth protesting in Tahrir Square. They think this is
everywhere, at Giza Pyramids, in Luxor, in Aswan, in Sham El Sheikh. So they
are scared. This, however, is some small thing that is blown way, way out of
proportion. I vacationed for a total of 4 weeks in the past two years in Egypt.
My experience and the experiences of other tourists I met on these trips is
that Egypt is generally a safe country to visit. What you see on northern
American or European TVs do happen, but in most cases, they were confined in a
smaller area of a few blocks. In 2011, around Christmas time, I stayed in a
hotel, which was across a highway overpass from the Egyptian Museum and just few
blocks from Tahrir Square. It was right before Egypt’s first parliamentary
election and there was supposed, according to CNN and BBC, a lot protests, riot
and violence, but a few blocks from the square, business was usual. I walked to
museums, had dinners and shopped on Talaat Harb Street, took the subway to
different touristy sites from the Sadat Station and had no problem at all. December
last year, I stayed in a hotel in Zamalek, which was on the bank of the Nile,
about 700 meters from Tahrir Square. One day when I came back from the Bent
Pyramid, my taxi was directed by the police to take a detour because there was
a protest about the constitutional amendment, but that took just a few more minutes.
I had visited many tourist cities and sites up and down the Nile Valley and in
the Sinai Peninsula and had never felt being threatened or in danger. If I were
scared once, that was when I realized that I was the only tourist, on a bike,
in the Valley of Queens. I was wondering, why the reporters, while shooting
videos about people shouting and waving flags or throwing rocks in that square,
did not bother to sit down in the Felfela restaurant a few blocks away to enjoy
a good meal or to listen to the music and have fun with the Egyptians on one those
pleasure boats sailing between the 6 October and the Kasr Al Nile Bridges just
down the El-Tahrir. Even they did, I didn’t see them report those. People
living their normal lives would be no news, wouldn’t it? On my trips, I did see
a lot of tourists from Asia and Russia. They appeared to have a good time and
not scared. Did they know things we didn’t know or our media didn’t care to let
us know? I am not saying things are good in Egypt. It is going downhill. If you
think 1 of 8 Egyptians works in tourist business, it is not a surprise. I think
those who were cheering the Arab Spring on Tahrir Square have something to do
with the deterioration of the country. Guess where they are now? In Rome.
Waiting for the white smoke out of the chimney.
This report is bogus and written by someone who is not in Egypt. John Nicholson wrote the following in his article for the Huffington Post. The article is dated march 12, 2013. This is what he writes:
The truth about Egypt is that its recent restlessness is more about internal domestic issues and about a proud and awakened people yearning for freedom and dignity. That's what the Egyptian Revolution in January 2011 was all about, and the country continues to make its way toward this goal. Ordinary Egyptians all over the country warmly welcome foreign tourists, especially Americans, and they are always incredibly happy to see us returning.
Our media back home continue to perpetuate the myth that Egypt is unsafe for foreign tourists, and they love to play old clips of rallies and demonstrations in one tiny square in one city of Egypt from specific days every time a story on Egypt is reported. The funny thing to those of us actually on the ground in Egypt every month is that we see these same news reports and stories on TV from our hotel rooms, then we look out the window and see life on the streets of Cairo going on as normal - calmly and peacefully. Then we look back at the TV screen and see clips being played from months or even years ago now and we can't help but laugh.
Those who can see past the facade and who are willing to come visit Egypt are always surprised to find out how amazing the experience is, even now, and the fact that tourism is depressed generally across the region means that it's the perfect time to come see this country without the congestion and crowds that you normally see at Egypt's world-famous sites and monuments.
And you believe a great ACTOR with great security? WTF? They should rewrite Bucket List, I'd like to see how that part went... true bliss I'm sure :-)
Jane Fonda rings a bell. Kunt.
Spunky-2860427...who are you referring to? John Nicholson is a very noted Travel Author as is Peter Greenberg. They are not actors. Are you responding to one of the other posts? Please check the article for further details and a bio of their work before making a response.
If you are trying to make a reference to JACK Nicholson there is no familial relationship between the two people. If this is what you are attempting to do, you look ridiculous.
LMAOAM; I always knew speed reading would catch up with me at some point; thanks for the wake up call Doc!
Anytime...I must admit it took me awhile to figure it out. Your Bucket List was the hint that did the trick. It is good we can laugh at ourselves! And, I would LOVE to tell you that I have never done that.....but I would be a'lying (as my grandmother was fond of saying!!) I like your Spunk, Spunky. Enjoy your day.
In kind regards from Heliopolis, Egypt,
Maybe they will eventually understand that in a global economy your stand on your type of Allah will doom you to economic mediocrity. As long as you cannot control the blood lush of your brand of Islam and your people you will shrivel on the vine, and you deserve all you receive as you have brought this on yourself.
It is a shame this has all happened. I was in Egypt many years ago and it was a wonderful place. There was poverty, of course, but people generally seemed happy and they were certainly friendly, if a bit disorganized. The ruins are indescribable. Losing the tourist dollar/Euro/yen etc. is a big incentive to get on with it and bring those tourists back.
If you're part of a tour group, you're fairly safe. Ever since terrorists shot a group of mostly Japanese tourists in Luxor in 1997, there are military personnel in white, heavy (keeps the heat out!) uniforms with AK-47's around all the major ancient tombs and temples. Even the time I wandered away from my group I crossed paths with one of those guards. I arranged to go for a ride on a camel [there are several outfits selling cheap camel rides near the Giza Pyramids/Sphinx] out into the Sahara so I could get the camel driver leading me to snap a photo of me with the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid of Kufu in the background (tricky, since that's not the pyramid the Sphinx is nearest). After riding around and over a couple dunes we came upon one of those armed guards out in the middle of nowhere, telling me "Sir, you can not go there!" We managed to get the shot anyway, but the point is they've got a lot of security.
Egypt will continue its economic tailspin for years to come. Tourism is dying. The politics are volatile. Kaput.
Arab Spring at its best!!! Arabs are pretty stupid and without a dictatorship to run their lives, they are practically helpless and useless! It's only the beginning of the end, they are nothing without their petroleum and tourism. Once the West finally pulls out of their countries, it is full blown dark ages for those idiots!! Burn baby burn, let them kill each other!!!
The treasures in Egypt are absolutely amazing and if you can go see them do it. When we were there all the people were very nice to us and we met some that were super helpful and friendly. That said, I would not go there now. The radical Muslims are in power and bet they are feeling empowered to release their religious hate, especially against European and Americans visiting. The Obama administration has just given Egypt modern tanks and jet fighters as well as billions of dollars. In the Muslim culture this is a sign of weakness and the Muslim Brotherhood will now feel that the US is weak and afraid of them. We are dealing with a culture that has medieval mentality. That said I would love to go back. We spent 5 days just going through the Cairo Museum and it wasn't enough.
Bs on the weapons whining. the weapons they got are detuned models and we aren't using these anymore. Heck during WWII we gave M-4 Tanks to the Russians but they had a smaller Bored Canon than the ones we used. I don't perceive us as making the same mistake that we made with the Japonese and the Zero. One thing we have learned is to never give anything we are not using better than.
Some things do change, really. At least in part. Egypt was a very safe place when I lived there in 1956. A kind people too. We were evacuated out of Suez, just before they went to war with Israel. Everyone was safe and the people were simple , yet friendly. Their culture has deteriorated beyond repair today, along with many others. We do not understand their mentality. They don't care how long something takes to complete. Twenty years or twenty generations, it's all the same to them. It's how they live, it's their mindset. If they decided to make a mole-hill out of Mount Everest, it would come to pass. Time means nothing to them.
KWDC I am so glad you and your wife came back to Egypt. I must admit I do not go to Alexandria for the very reasons you have cited...it has a trash issue and reminds me a lot of Athens. I would rather stay here in Cairo or go to the north coast. I am glad you had a positive experience. Just a clarification for you...the women in Egypt do not wear Burkas. That is a Saudi and Afghanistan term. The robe/mumu like dress they wear is called a Galabaya. And if the Galabaya is black, traditionally, the woman is married.
I hope you enjoyed Hurghada and had a chance to have the shrimp. It is AWESOME!!!
Thanks for posting your experiences and positive words.
In kind regards,
Ask Lara Logan how great a tourism "hotspot" Cairo
or for that matter Egypt is ...
Mnizzle ~~ Lara Logan and her story is one you should very carefully check out before you refer to it. She made a HUGE error in judgment which has been written about extensively. And, I believe due to her lack of judgment not only did CBS NOT back her, they even possibly demoted and/or fired her from her position. She had been deported from Egypt, came back to D.C. hired a new video team (Because her CBS team would not go back with her), waited 48 hours, returned to Egypt on a tourist visa (NOT a Journalism visa), went down to one of the most difficult areas inappropriately dressed, stuck her microphone into the faces of conservative Muslims while they were praying to get "the story". Her attack was, indeed, horrible; however, she was NOT raped. She was sexually assaulted. Finally she never even thanked or acknowledged the women who helped her. These women (I know one of them) saved her from further injury, took her to the International Hospital, paid her hospital bill, and transported her to the airport. Lara Logan did not speak the language or know the culture. Once again, If you noticed CBS did not support her nor did they allow her to constantly report it. She made a 24 year old stupid error in judgment in a situation that could have been very easily avoided.
drjill=========== Logan's error in judgement was to expect decent treatment by male members of that peaceful religion. She should have known that she would be attacked and violated if she dared not to wear a tent covering her entire body. No equality for women under Islam. Men can have 4 wives , women only one husband. Men can get a divorce merely by declaring they are divorced , not women ; they have no such right. Under Islamic law a woman must have 4 male witnesses to her rape in order to proceed in court. That's why most victims never come forward to seek justice. The status of women under Islam is shockingly discriminatory.
No Gary ~309869 Logan's error in judgment was that she thought she could come back to Cairo (after being deported) under a different visa and, because of the revolution, thought that she would not be checked. Secondly, another error in judgment was that she went to the worst area without any security, not speaking the language, in a tankini with a little shirt over it and tight jeans, stuck her microphone into (already revved up) males who were PRAYING, and asked questions about the Peace Treaty with Israel. Thirdly, since she is 20 and has little (or no) common life sense, we were ALL told (I was in Egypt during the revolution with 10 grad students in my care) NOT to go anywhere near Tahrir Square...she was asked where she was going and staying when she arrived back in Cairo. According to my friends at the airport, she wrote on her passport/visa that she was staying at a hotel out by the airport which was a good 2 hour drive away from Tahrir Square on he best of days. On the worst of days (as was the day of rage) the traffic was even more than that. Finally, the majority of us had been evacuated out to Sharm. Once she touched back down in Cairo she NEW the embassy had been closed. She was disrespectful of the culture and took a horrible chance.
Finally I am not sure where you are getting your information from, but each country (and tribe for that matter) has different laws regarding marriage and women's rights. In Egypt (It is different in Jordan, and throughout the Middle East), while you are correct in saying that under Islamic Law a male can have 4 wives, it is not practiced. And the reason it is not practiced is that (a) it is not financially practical. The man has to treat each wife equally. For example, if a man gives a wife a diamond necklace, he must then give his second wife a gift of equal value, but slightly different...so maybe he gives her a diamond bracelet. And so on and so on. I have written several papers on this phenomena. Finally, the first wife (or head wife as she is called here) MUST approve the marriage of the male to the second wife or it does not occur. Further you are incorrect in the right of females to file for divorce. Again, under the interpretation of Islamic in Egypt a wife can simply state/declare that she wants to divorce and it is granted. I have a few female friends who are divorced. In Egypt it is more difficult to get married (as opposed to the U.S.) in that each family (both Muslim AND Copt) MUST sign an agreement of the marriage. Then there is a waiting period. In both traditions (Muslim and Coptic) the two engage couple are not allowed to go out on any one-on-one dates. In general the young people here do not date one-on-one, they go out in groups. One of the issues the young protestors want is to integrate more between the two (2) traditions. As little children they play together, go to school together and (for the most part), go out in groups together. It is only when they choose to marry they must stay within their own tradition. This is according to the laws and policies of BOTH traditions. This subject of integration is a MAJOR issue between the younger people and older generations of both traditions...
The interesting factor of a multiple marriage (one male and multiple females) is that the children really do not know who their biological mother is. Each woman is their mother, therefore any woman is a mother/mom. On many occasions I have either been called momma...or more recently Tata (long a sound on the first syllable) which is Arabic for grandmother.
Finally, along this subject...I once asked a male I was interviewing how he liked having three (3) wives and if he would do it all over again. He shook his head and said, "Noooo, Doctora I would not marry three again...in America your men only have one dog house. In my home I have three! For when one of my wives is mad at me they ALLLLL are mad at me! I had to chuckle at this. in regards to the children....in the case of a divorce, the children stay with the mother until the age of 12 or 13 with the father having visitation. (Sometimes the age of the child if he is a male can be as low as 10 years) Then, as teenagers, they are sent to live with their father full time and the mother has visitation rights. I am not sure if you have children or not, but there were a few times when my kids were teenagers that I would not have minded if they went someplace else. And my husband and I were lucky with our kids!!
Finally, again IN EGYPT rape is rape ~~ no matter the tradition. It is covered in their city & country law which super cedes (for now) moral law. Another issue between the protestors and MB. I agree with you that often/most times many of the rapes go unreported here. However this is also the case in the states as well And, this is basically due to the ideal that women (especially married women) feel they must submit to their husbands. To me it is a lot like the concept that was help in the states in the 50's and pre the 60's era free love stuff.
There is a very outspoken feminist here (Dr. Nawal El Sadawi & her husband) who have been EXTREMELY vocal and instrumental in getting this more openly taken care of. They are both Muslim. There have been major problems with the ultra conservative Muslims and them, but so far Dr. Nawal is winning out. They, along with physicians such as Dr. Magdi Yacoub and others have also been instrumental in having female circumcision outlawed. (It has been outlawed in Egypt since 1997).
The 4 witness routine you are speaking of is under more of the interpretation of Islamic law in countries such as Kuwait, Saudi, and Abu Dhabi. In Egypt it is completely different. It still has a long way to go, but many of the more educated scholars (such as the Sheik of the Grand Mosque) are very liberal and are pushing more for the equal rights of women. It has only been since 1997 since women have had the right to vote and own property separate from a male so they have made great strides. Nothing is perfect, but Egypt has the potential to be the leading model for what a good and strong democracy could be in North Africa.
Christmas continues to be a legal holiday which is not the case in the other Islamic countries including the more liberal Jordan. The Copts are working towards more equality and even having Easter as a legal holiday as well.
Please do not judge an entire tradition on the misinterpretation of a select few. It would be like judging ALL Christians on the action (or antics as I like to say) of the Westboro Baptist crazies or one of the other sects we have in the states.
My dissertation was a delineation of the Peoples of the Book and was accomplished between the states, Egypt, and Israel. There is SOOOOO much out there that can be learned, interpreted and misinterpreted. Sects of all traditions will try to use their Holy books in an attempt to control the masses. (or in their determination to "educate" the masses)
Lastly, In Egypt...there are over thirteen (13) different denominations of Islamic thought. And within each one of those 13 sects there is a different interpretation according to the level of education, cultural background, and upbringing of each sect/denomination. There is a whole huge spectrum on the subject.
I hope this helps you a little bit with your opinion and knowledge of the tradition as it stands in Egypt.
In kind regards,
It's a shame, really. Egypt has such an amazing history & even has one of the few surviving wonders of the ancient world. But it ain't worth a bullet in the head to see. I do plan to see Greece, though. At least people there treat you well if you have money to spend.
As for myself I would not go to any muslim nation for a vacation. You never know what can happen in this day and age.
The Middle East area as a whole is the festering boil of our planet. It is a photo finish with Africa with the Middle East winning by a nose. They should be very thankful they have oil as the losers have nothing else to offer the planet.
The sights may be nice but I can't see going to any country where so many people hate my culture, my country, my ideals, treat women like absolute crap..............they're not getting my money
Mary: They are getting your money, and my money. Our United States of America government sends billions of dollars to Egypt and Pakistan. Billions.
Egypt, Pakistan, Mexico, Chicago, New York City, Detroit, etc.... Pretty much all about the same on the "dangerous-for-tourists", or "anyone-else", scale. Go to any one of these places, and you are taking your chances.
Egypt had long been on my list of must-see countries.
Since Lara Logan's gang rape, I wouldn't set foot in that misogynistic country for 5 million bucks.
Amfh ~~ Lara Logan and her story is one you should very carefully check out before you refer to it. She made a HUGE error in judgment which has been written about extensively. And, I believe due to her lack of judgment not only did CBS NOT back her, they even possibly demoted and/or fired her from her position. She had been deported from Egypt, came back to D.C. hired a new video team (Because her CBS team would not go back with her), waited 48 hours, returned to Egypt on a tourist visa (NOT a Journalism visa), went down to one of the most difficult areas inappropriately dressed, stuck her microphone into the faces of conservative Muslims while they were praying to get "the story". Her attack was, indeed, horrible; however, she was NOT raped. She was sexually assaulted. Finally she never even thanked or acknowledged the women who helped her. These women (I know one of them) saved her from further injury, took her to the International Hospital, paid her hospital bill, and transported her to the airport. Lara Logan did not speak the language or know the culture. Once again, If you noticed CBS did not support her nor did they allow her to constantly report it. She made a 24 year old stupid error in judgment in a situation that could have been very easily avoided.
Come to Egypt....I am an American female who lives and teaches here. I feel safer here than I do at my home in San Diego. The rule of thumb in Egypt is that as long you comport yourself like a lady....you will be treated like a lady. I dress here just as I do in the states. I wear my longer jean skirts (jeans are tooooo hot for me to wear) and t-shirts. They are not overly tight. I wear tennis shoes or good walking shoes because the Egyptians are a culture who walk EXTREMELY fast...I call them zappers. :) I am a little too old to be running around in heels. But I still wear by high heels to dinner and stuff.
Egypt is a magical country who will welcome you with open arms. The vendors (who used to be very pushy) have been told that they need to back off or they will lose their licenses. They do not bother me or other scholars/teachers.
If you want to come over please contact me and I would love to show you Egypt as I know her and introduce you to the culture I love most besides my own.
In kind regards,
drjill
Wow. Blame the victim. I don't care how Lara Logan was dressed. Not raped? They raped her with their HANDS. She was beaten. 83% of Egyptian women report being harassed.
No. I will never, ever set foot in that country.
How can our government give hundreds of millions to the Islamic Brotherhood, a terrorist group which has avowed to annihilate Israel? Doesn't that embolden the terrorists to reach out and do more evil? It is like giving the billions to Pakistan and about 150 Christian people, and the only Christian minister in the government in Pakistan are murdered by radical Islamists. It makes one think that having the strong man dictator President Zia back again would help stability there.
Don't we have needs here? How about actually proposing a budget that balances or works toward a balance, rather than one that perpetually does not balance. I can't do that in my household and couldn't in my business when I was younger. Why is it so hard to propose a budget that balances? You don't actually have to cut out must cut back a little on the increases each year.
I had an opportunity to visit Cairo before they liberated the country. They had armed guards on every corner, you had to go through metal detectors to enter the hotel. At the sites I visited the locals made seeing anything almost impossible as they constantly harassed you with cheap trinkets. If they found out you were American or European they figured you were rich. The Cairo museum was a dump. No air conditioning, poor lighting, displays that looked like they had not been dusted for a decade.
The present population certain did not decend from those who built the Ancient society. Now that the Muslim Brotherhood rules it is a joke to visit. Any women considering it should also consider visiting Detroit on a warm summer evening in July first.
Of course Barry just gave them more money so they can rearm and be a base against Israel. Egypt should be off base for any tourist. Buy a good CD and guidebook you will enjoy it more that a trip.
GBA
Before they liberated the country? Oh, you mean liberated it into an Islamic hell hole worse than the previous hell hole.
Which place is the most dangerous?
A. Pakistan
B. Detroit
C. Egypt
D. Chicago
Tough question...all about the same.
Been to B and D, and couldn't wait to leave. Why anyone in there right mind would ever go to a Muslim country. Or any country in Central American, south or those stinky island in the Carbi is beyond me.
Can this one be filed under DUH!
I wouldn't even set foot in Europe at this point, much less anywhere less savory in the world. Even the US President has believes that he has the right to kill any American he wants if they leave US soil.
Muslim terrorists are Muslim terrorists. He can kill them in my front yard if he wants to. Fine with me.
sure, I would agree, except that his "kill order" says nothing about them having to be muslim or even terrorists. He simply needs to apply the label of "enemy of the state" to anyone that he, himself deems an enemy to his way of life.
No courts, no oversight needed according to him. Considering they just labeled some American teacher a terrorist for daring to quote the constitution in court, I think the line is getting pretty blurry for this President.
What a shame. These are places with great history that many would like to visit...but, the crazy, killing people are there and there is no control on how dangerous it is to just go to a place and enjoy that history. I am at a time in life where I could travel more and I like history....but I will not participate in the threats and hatred and attitudes of the crazy people....So, keep your country and continue the threaten the world and vow to kill people....because you are righteous(or something). I will do something else.
"The crazy people"? Why are you afraid to say "Muslims".
Pick your Islamic hell hole. Have a good ole time. Don't write. Been nice knowin' ya.
Egypt has nothing to worry about. Obama will send them all the money he can print so they do not need any tourism