Terror attacks targeting Egypt of late are no different than those that have taken place in London and Paris, Tourism Minister Yehia Rashed told Reuters, adding that “these things happen.” “I think it’s proven [that] Egypt is secure. It is safe and tourism is back,” Rashed said on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai. He attributes this revival in tourism in large part to the buzz generated by a series of major archeological discoveries in Egypt. Egypt could attract as many as 10 mn visitors this year, Rashed said, a figure in line with a target of between 10 mn and 12 mn he gave a year ago for 2017.

Egypt plans to promote religious, medical and luxury travel — and develop new markets in India and Eastern Europe in its drive to revive the tourism sector, Rashed told Bloomberg TV (watch, runtime 11:17). “The final target is to get to the 2010 numbers … We should be able to get as close as possible to the target in the next 18 to 24 months,” Rashed said. The revival plan will expand beyond traditional antiquities (Cairo, Luxor) or surf and sun offerings (Red Sea, Sinai) and will include “Holy Family” tours to eight destinations and chasing a slice of the medical tourism industry by capitalizing on the lower cost of some procedures in Egypt.

Rashed also said Egypt will ease travel for residents of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries through an e-visa program as part of a broader plan to boost visitors and encourage longer stays and more spending. Germany remains the top growing market for Egypt, but it is followed by Middle Eastern markets led by Saudi Arabia. Rashed also told Bloomberg 1Q2017 suggested a “very optimistic” outlook for the market, which he said is “well-positioned” to see the return of tourists by diversifying source markets and developing Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan as luxury destinations.

Promotion campaigns in Ramadan, Eid and this summer will target tourists from the GCC, Lebanon, and Jordan, Rashed said, according to an e-mailed statement. The minister met with several leading travel companies on the sidelines of the ATM, and Al-Jazeera Airways has agreed to boost its number of direct Kuwait-Sharm El Sheikh flights. The airline will then do the same with its direct Kuwait-Hurghada route, Rashed said. Fly Dubai and Emirates have also reportedly expressed willingness to increase weekly flights to Sharm El Sheikh, the North Coast, and Hurghada, Al Shorouk reports. Arabs accounted for 36.3% of tourist arrivals in 2016, Rashed said.