Some 126k tourists have visited Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, and Matrouh since Egypt started direct flights to the seaside resorts on 1 July, Tourism Minister Khaled El Anany said yesterday. Out of all the tourist arrivals, only one suspected case of covid-19 has been reported, the minister added. El Anany’s statements came during a meeting between Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly and UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, who earlier this week lauded the covid-19 precautions Egypt is implementing at its hotels during an inspection tour in Hurghada. Egypt’s tourist arrivals reached a record 13 mn last year before the covid-19 pandemic suddenly brought the industry to a halt.

Pololikashvili also separately sat down with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to discuss Egypt’s efforts to bring tourists back, Ittihadiya said in a statement. Indications that Egypt’s tourism industry is showing signs of a comeback have been emerging this week despite the ongoing pandemic and the acceleration of covid numbers across much of Western Europe.