Egyptian authorities hope that the opening of a large archaeological museum, scheduled for next Saturday, can revive tourism in the country, shaken by more than a decade of internal revolts and regional conflicts, in addition to the pandemic.
Authorities believe the Great Egyptian Museum (GEM) alone could attract up to 7 million additional visitors a year, helping to increase total visitors to around 30 million by 2030.
Overlooking the Pyramids of Giza, the 500,000-square-meter building will house tens of thousands of artifacts, including what is called the complete collection of the boy king Tutankhamun’s treasures, many of them on display for the first time.
The new space includes immersive exhibitions and virtual reality devices, in contrast to the disorganized and dated displays of the ancient Egyptian Museum in central Cairo.
Egypt, which has already needed several financial bailouts to stabilize its economy, uses foreign currency it receives from tourism to pay for essential imports such as fuel and grain.
HOPES IN CULTURAL TOURISM
Last year, according to official data, the country attracted 15.7 million visitors who spent a record $15 billion. Tourism had fallen to $3.8 billion in 2015/16, a victim of the long political turmoil following Egypt’s 2011 uprising.
However, factors such as worn-out infrastructure, poor planning and safety restrictions have held back the tourism sector’s potential. Even with its recent recovery, Egypt lags behind regional rival Turkey, which said it welcomed more than 50 million international visitors last year, generating more than $60 billion.
Ghada Abdelmoaty, associate professor at Alexandria’s Higher Institute of Tourism and Hospitality, said visitors’ goals are realistic.
“The museum houses a huge collection that was previously kept in storage due to lack of exhibition space,” he said.
Popular among many travelers for its Red Sea locations, Egypt hopes the opening of the GEM will also attract a growing share of cultural tourists.
According to analysts, these tourists generally stay longer and spend more than those who come primarily to visit the beaches.
Official data doesn’t say how many tourists come for cultural reasons, but a 2021 study into the possible impact of the GEM estimated they accounted for less than a quarter of the total.
Abdelmoaty estimates that the number of cultural tourists represents only 10-15% of all international travellers.
Remon Naguib, commercial director of the Orient Hospitality Group, said his company is working to integrate the new museum into attraction packages.
Tourists could “come to visit the museum and then spend three nights in a Red Sea destination, including Ain Sukhna, which is just an hour from Cairo,” he said.
Source: Terra
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