Terrorism and tourism in Egypt

Last updated
Egyptian man in the desert with camel Egypt (4001309894).jpg
Egyptian man in the desert with camel

Terrorism and tourism in Egypt is when terrorist attacks are specifically aimed at Egypt's tourists. These attacks often end in fatalities and injuries and have an immediate and sometimes lasting effect on the industry. Attacks take many forms; blowing up an airplane carrying tourists, [1] drive-by shootings of tourists, knife attacks on tourists and suicide bombings in a location where tourists are congregated. On the timeline of these events, the 1997 Luxor Massacre stands out - 62 tourists were ambushed and killed.

Contents

Attacks carried out by different extremists have an immediate effect on tourism, an important part of Egypt's economy. So while there is a history of persecution and terrorism aimed at Egypt's Coptic Christians and terrorism is directed at Egypt's security and government officials, terrorism targeting tourists affects the citizens of other countries. [2] Tourism agencies note that when an attack occurs against tourists, Egypt loses tourism dollars to other countries such as China, India or Morocco. [1]

In the first six months of 2018, tourism revenue had increased by 71% to $4.8 billion amid an upsurge of visitors. More than 5 million tourists visited, a jump of 41%, as compared to same time frame in 2017. [3]

After almost two years without an attack targeting tourists, a bomb targeting tourists was planted near a bus with Vietnamese tourists, killing four, on 28 of December, 2018. [4]

Background

Tourist on the Red Sea Riviera Tourism in Egypt - at the Red Sea.JPG
Tourist on the Red Sea Riviera

The Egyptian tourism industry is one of the most important sectors of Egypt's economy, in terms of employment and foreign currency, and at times it has been as much as 1% of the world tourism market. [5] The many constituents of tourism include historical attractions, especially in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, but also beach and other sea activities, with foreign tourism actively encouraged since it is a major source of currency and investment. Political instability since January 2011 caused fluctuations in tourism income. [6] [7]

Around 1992, the new tactic of attacking tourists was noted by then President Mubarak who addressed the parliament on the grave effects these growing number of attacks by Muslim fundamentalist could have on Egypt's $2 billion tourism industry. Heightened security involved having to hire armed security guards to escort tour buses. [8]

The connection between terrorism and tourism has been widely studied since the Luxor massacre in Egypt in 1997. The amount of news coverage a disaster gets and its effects on the tourism industry of that country has been studied by experts like Dr. Gabby Walters from the University of Queensland, Australia. Her predecessors at the university wrote the book Tourism in Turbulent Times. [9] [10] [11]

Egypt's tourism industry was depressed from the Arab Spring and through the Egyptian revolution of 2011 and through the Egyptian crisis (2011–14). According to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism, the number of tourists in the first quarter of 2017 had increased by almost 50% compared to the 1st quarter of 2016, but with hotel occupancy rates still only reaching 30% by 15 July 2017. [12]

Photo at the Pyramids 'CLASSIC NATURAL PHOTO' taken by the Bedouin.Sunday(26-10-08).JPG
Photo at the Pyramids

The Egyptian Pyramids attract millions of visitors each year and tourists also visit places in Upper Egypt, the Egyptian museums, Coptic Cairo, ancient monasteries, Mount Sinai, the Red Sea Riviera, places with Islamic culture and Islamic art, and other places. Attacks cause countries to issue travel advisories, on steps to take for safety or countries issue travel warnings, asking tourists to avoid all but necessary travel to Egypt. As of August 2017 Canada had several travel warnings on Egypt but pointed out that the Sharm El Sheikh resort area was excluded from the warning. [13]

The Grand Egyptian Museum is a multi-million dollar museum, at the Giza Plateau which opened in 2023, [14] is a more recent investment into Egypt's Tourism Industry, and will require extensive security. [15] [16]

The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, located in Al-Fustat made a soft opening in February. The museum features state-of-the-art security. [17] [18]

Notable incidents and effects

Luxor, Egypt Images from Luxor No 11..JPG
Luxor, Egypt

Researchers studying terrorism and tourism said that "Random acts of terrorism curtail travel activity until the public's memories of the publicized incidents fade. Persistent terrorism, however, can tarnish a destination's image of safety and attractiveness and jeopardize its entire tourism industry." [10]

Pyramids of Giza

On 29 March 1993, al-Jama`a al-Islamiya caused an explosion at the Pyramid of Khafre. On 8 June 1993, a bomb lobbed at a tour bus in Giza's Pyramid Rock, killed foreign tourists and Egyptians. In late 1993, American and French tourists were shot dead at the Semiramis Hotel in Cairo. [19]

In 1996, 18 Greek tourists who had finished touring Jerusalem and were in Egypt, near the Europa Hotel in Cairo, were killed and security nearby were not prepared (armed) to protect them. [20]

On 28 December 2018, a bomb targeting tourists was planted near a bus with Vietnamese tourists, killing four. [4]

Upper Egypt

Location of the Luxor massacre Flickr - Dave B - the luxor massacre.jpg
Location of the Luxor massacre

62 people, mostly tourists, were killed and 26 were injured during the Luxor massacre on 17 November 1997. The weapons of choice were firearms and knives. Hotels eliminated 70% of their workforce and "...European and Japanese tourism companies canceled their tours to Egypt" after the attack. [21]

In 2014 an Egyptian citizen from Upper Egypt lamented that what had "provided one of the most important sources of income besides farming has dried out". [22]

Sinai Peninsula and North coast

Hilton Hotel - Taba, Egypt Hilton hotel taba egypt.jpg
Hilton Hotel - Taba, Egypt

The Red Sea Riviera, Egypt's eastern coastline along the Red Sea, is a popular destination spot.

In 2004, tourism from Israel all but stopped after three incidents. Before 2004, "400,000 Israelis visited the peninsula each year. Over a decade later, the number is a trickle." [23]

On 2 May 2014, a bomb on a tour bus in Sharm El Sheikh detonated, killing one and injuring four others. [24]

Reuters reported that Sinai's militants had turned their attention from security forces to tourists or soft targets. The explosion was caught on camera when on 16 February 2014, four civilians including three South Korean tourists were killed in what is known as the 2014 Taba bus bombing. [25] [26] The bomber detonated his device on a tour bus carrying more than 30 members of a South Korean church group. They had traveled from Cairo to Saint Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula. The bus was waiting to cross into Israel when the explosion occurred. [27] The South Korean tourists belonged to the Jincheon Jungang Presbyterian Church. They had reportedly "saved for years to visit Biblical sites on the 60th anniversary of their church". [27] After this attack, Britons were warned not to travel to South Sinai, with an official government travel warning. [28]

By 2015, conditions had deteriorated to the point where Israeli tourists stopped going to the area for 18 months then resumed their visits, under heavy security in 2017. [29]

When tourism was recovering, the downing of an airplane which had left Sharm El Sheikh airport, with Russian tourists on 31 October 2015, sent shock waves through the industry again. The cause was a suspected bomb and speculation largely fell on an airport worker. Russia stopped all flights to Sharm-El-Sheik, until Russian officials inspected the airport and felt it met sufficient security standards. [30] [31] After the downing of the jet, "scared tourists" left the area, affecting the Bedouin population who worked in the tourism industry. [32] Russian and Britain stopped all flights to Sharm El Sheikh. [33] The drop in tourism was immense after the Russian tourists on the airplane were killed. Tourism income for Egypt dropped from $12 Billion in 2010 to almost half in 2016. [34]

In 2016 tourists were attacked in Hurghada, resulting in the wounding of the two people. The city was targeted again in 2017, [35] when a radicalized 29-year-old man stabbed several tourists at the resort area, killing two German and a Czech. [12]

Whether targeting Egypt's Coptic Christians, tourists or both, an attack on 18 April 2017 near St. Catherine's Monastery, leaving a number of police officers injured came at a critical time, when Egypt was anxiously awaiting a decision on whether flights from Russia would resume. Even before the attack, Israel had asked its citizens not to go into the Sinai Peninsula. [36]

In October 2023 two Israeli tourists were shot and killed at Pompey's Pillar (column), a site in Alexandria. [37]

Western Desert

Western Desert Western Desert.jpg
Western Desert

On 19 September 2008, tourists were held hostage by a number of men who took them into the Western desert and demanded ransom money. After ten days, a rescue mission resulted in the successful rescue of all the hostages and in the killing of one of the abductors. [38]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinai Peninsula</span> Peninsula in Egypt between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea

The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai, is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a land bridge between Asia and Africa. Sinai has a land area of about 60,000 km2 (23,000 sq mi) and a population of approximately 600,000 people. Administratively, the vast majority of the area of the Sinai Peninsula is divided into two governorates: the South Sinai Governorate and the North Sinai Governorate. Three other governorates span the Suez Canal, crossing into African Egypt: Suez Governorate on the southern end of the Suez Canal, Ismailia Governorate in the center, and Port Said Governorate in the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taba, Egypt</span> City in South Sinai, Egypt

Taba is an Egyptian town near the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. Taba is the location of Egypt's busiest border crossing with neighboring Eilat, Israel. It is the northernmost resort of Egypt's Red Sea Riviera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharm El Sheikh</span> City in South Sinai, Egypt

Sharm El Sheikh is an Egyptian city on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in South Sinai Governorate, on the coastal strip along the Red Sea. Its population is approximately 73,000 as of 2023. Sharm El Sheikh is the administrative hub of Egypt's South Sinai Governorate, which includes the smaller coastal towns of Dahab and Nuweiba as well as the mountainous interior, St. Catherine and Mount Sinai. The city and holiday resort is a significant centre for tourism in Egypt, while also attracting many international conferences and diplomatic meetings. Sharm El Sheikh is one of the Asian cities of Egypt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Sinai Governorate</span> Governorate of Egypt

South Sinai Governorate is the least populated governorate of Egypt. It is located in the east of the country, encompassing the southern half of the Sinai Peninsula. Saint Catherine's Monastery, an Eastern Orthodox Church monastery and UNESCO World Heritage Site of world renown, is located in the central part of the governorate.

The April 2005 attacks were three related incidents that took place in the city of Cairo, Egypt, on 7 April and 30 April 2005. While the first killed three bystanders, the latter two incidents are generally considered to have been minor, in that they caused no loss of life other than those of the perpetrators and appear not to have been planned in advance. Neither sophisticated methods nor sophisticated materials were used in the incidents, and the Egyptian authorities have consistently described the attacks as "primitive".

The 2005 Sharm El Sheikh bombings were committed by Islamist group Abdullah Azzam Brigades on 23 July 2005 in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El Sheikh, at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. Eighty-eight people were killed by the three bombings, the majority of them Egyptians, and over 200 were injured, making the attack the deadliest terrorist action in the history of Egypt, until it was surpassed by the 2017 Sinai mosque attack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Sinai bombings</span> Series of vehicle bombings in Egypt

The 2004 Sinai bombings were three bomb attacks targeting tourist hotels in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, on 7 October 2004. The attacks left 34 people dead and 171 injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Dahab bombings</span> Three bomb attacks on the Egyptian resort city of Dahab, in the Sinai Peninsula

The Dahab bombings of 24 April 2006 were three bomb attacks on the Egyptian resort city of Dahab, in the Sinai Peninsula. The resort town is popular with Western tourists and Egyptians alike during the holiday season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrorism in Egypt</span> List of terrorist attacks in Egypt from the 1940s to the present day

Terrorism in Egypt in the 20th and 21st centuries has targeted the Egyptian government officials, Egyptian police and Egyptian army members, tourists, Sufi Mosques and the Christian minority. Many attacks have been linked to Islamic extremism, and terrorism increased in the 1990s when the Islamist movement al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya targeted high-level political leaders and killed hundreds – including civilians – in its pursuit of implementing traditional Sharia law in Egypt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharm El Sheikh International Airport</span> Airport

Sharm El Sheikh International Airport is an international airport located in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. It is the third-busiest airport in Egypt after Cairo International Airport and Hurghada International Airport. The airport was previously known as Ophira International Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Egypt</span>

Crime in Egypt is moderate, but still occurs in various forms. Forms of crime include drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud, corruption, black marketeering etc.

Tourism is one of the leading sources of income, crucial to Egypt's economy. At its peak in 2010, the sector employed about 12% of workforce of Egypt, serving approximately 14.7 million visitors to Egypt, and providing revenues of nearly $12.5 billion as well as contributing more than 11% of GDP and 14.4% of foreign currency revenues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Khan el-Khalili bombing</span>

The 2009 Khan el-Khalili bombing was a terrorist attack that took place at 6:30 p.m. local time on 22 February 2009 in Khan el-Khalili, a souq in eastern Cairo, Egypt, killing a 17-year-old French teenager and injuring 24 other people. It was the first of the February 2009 Cairo terrorist attacks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocket attacks on Eilat and Aqaba</span>

Rocket attacks on the neighboring cities of Eilat, in Israel, and Aqaba, in Jordan, have been a tactic used by militants from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and organizations linked with Al-Qaeda because of the relative ease of launching rocket attacks against these two cities from adjacent desert areas. Most of these attacks target Eilat, the last attack on Aqaba was in 2010.

The August 2012 Sinai attack occurred on 5 August 2012, when armed men ambushed an Egyptian military base in the Sinai Peninsula, killing 16 soldiers and stealing two armored cars, which they used to infiltrate into Israel. The attackers broke through the Kerem Shalom border crossing to Israel, where one of the vehicles exploded. They then engaged in a firefight with soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), during which six of the attackers were killed. No Israelis were injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinai insurgency</span> Defunct insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula

The Sinai insurgency was an insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, that was commenced by Islamist militants against Egyptian security forces, which have also included attacks on civilians. The insurgency began during the Egyptian Crisis, during which the longtime Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in the 2011 Egyptian revolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Taba bus bombing</span> Terrorist attack in Taba, Egypt on 16 February 2014

The 2014 Taba bus bombing was a terrorist attack on a tourist coach in Taba, Egypt on 16 February 2014. The bus had been parked, waiting to cross into Israel at the Taba Border Crossing, when a lone suicide bomber entered the open bus and detonated his explosives. Four people – three South Koreans and the Egyptian bus driver were killed, and 17 others injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic State – Sinai Province</span> Branch of the Salafi jihadist group IS

The Islamic State – Sinai Province is a branch of the militant Islamist group Islamic State that is active in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metrojet Flight 9268</span> 2015 bombing of Russian aircraft above the northern Sinai in Egypt

Metrojet Flight 9268 was an international chartered passenger flight, operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia. On 31 October 2015, at 06:13 local time EST, the Airbus A321-231 operating the flight exploded above the northern Sinai Peninsula following its departure from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport, Egypt en route to Pulkovo Airport, Saint Petersburg, Russia. All 224 passengers and crew on board died. The cause of the crash was most likely an onboard explosive device as concluded by Russian investigators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of terrorism in Egypt (2013–present)</span> Islamist insurgency in Egypt

In July 2013, at the same time as mass protests began against the 3 July coup d'état which deposed Mohamed Morsi, and in parallel with the escalation of the already ongoing jihadist insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula, pro-Muslim Brotherhood militants started violent attacks against policemen and soldiers in central and western Egypt. In the following months, new Islamist armed groups were created to reinstate Islamist rule in Egypt, like Soldiers of Egypt and the Popular Resistance Movement. Since 2013, violence in mainland Egypt has escalated and developed into a low-level Islamist insurgency against the Egyptian government.

References

  1. 1 2 Glusac, Elaine (10 November 2015). "Russian Airplane Crash Shakes Egypt's Tourism". NYT. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015.
  2. ↑ "Egypt Officials Say Resort Knife Attacker Tasked by IS". NYT. Associated Press. 30 July 2017.
  3. ↑ Sayed, Mohamed (20 November 2018). "Top Egyptian travel company sees sector recovering as tourists return". Reuters.
  4. 1 2 "Four killed in roadside bomb attack near Egypt's Giza pyramids". Al Jazeera.
  5. ↑ Egypt's Tourism Industry (PDF) (Report). Bank of Alexandria. October 2010. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  6. ↑ Kotb, Ahmed (24 October 2012). "Tourism Tips". Al-Ahram . Archived from the original on 27 October 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  7. ↑ Neil Hollingsworth (5 July 2012). "EGYPTIAN TOURISM FIGURE IMPRESSES INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS". Rivermead Global Property. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  8. ↑ "Egypt's tourist industry threatened by terrorism". BBC. 16 November 1992.
  9. ↑ Sönmez, S. F.; Apostolopoulos, Y.; Tarlow, P. (1999). "Tourism in crisis: Managing the effects of terrorism". Journal of Travel Research. 38 (1): 13–18. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.465.286 . doi:10.1177/004728759903800104. S2CID   154984322.
  10. 1 2 Tarlow, P. E. (2006). "Tourism and Terrorism". In Wilks J, Pendergast D & Leggat P. (Eds) Tourism in turbulent times: Towards safe experiences for visitors (Advances in Tourism Research), Elsevier, Oxford, pp. 80–82.
  11. ↑ "UQ Researchers - Dr. Gabby Walters". The University of Queensland, Australia. Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  12. 1 2 Regev, Dana (15 July 2017). "Egypt's tourism industry suffers a critical blow". DW. Archived from the original on 16 July 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  13. ↑ "Advisory Warnings - Egypt". Government of Canada Travel Warnings. Archived from the original on 2017-07-19.
  14. ↑ "Great Museum to be inaugurated in May 2018". Egypt Independent. 10 May 2015. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017.
  15. ↑ Hassan, Khalid (28 September 2015). "23 years and millions of dollars later, will the Grand Egyptian Museum ever open". Al Monitor. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017.
  16. ↑ "Egypt Runs Out Of Money To Build New Grand Egyptian Museum". Egyptian Streets. 29 April 2015. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016.
  17. ↑ "National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation receives 453 artefacts". Egypt Daily News. 19 July 2017.
  18. ↑ El-Aref, Nevine (14 Feb 2017). "National Museum of Egyptian Civilization opens temporary exhibit, free admission". Ahram Online. Archived from the original on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  19. ↑ "Egypt in 1993". Britannica. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  20. ↑ "1996: Greek tourists killed by Egyptian gunmen". BBC. No. On This Day. 18 April 1996. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016.
  21. ↑ Kibazo, Joel (25 November 1997). "The Luxor massacre and Egypt's tourist industry". BBC. No. World Service.
  22. ↑ Gratowski, J. Thomas (17 February 2014). "Is Egypt Breaking Apart?". International Affairs Review. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  23. ↑ Kelly, Laura (16 May 2016). "Israeli tourists brave security threats in Sinai for a slice of paradise". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  24. ↑ "Friday bombings leave 4 dead in Heliopolis, South Sinai". Mada Masr. 2 May 2014. Archived from the original on 4 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  25. ↑ "Sinai-based militants claim responsibility for tourist bus blast in Egypt". Reuters. Yahoo. 17 February 2014. Archived from the original on 5 August 2017.
  26. ↑ "Deadly bombing hits Egypt tour bus". BBC News. 16 February 2014. Archived from the original on 7 September 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  27. 1 2 Fahim, Kareem; El Sheikh, Mayy (16 February 2014). "Bombing of Tourist Bus Kills at Least Three in Sinai". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 26 July 2016.
  28. ↑ "Egypt warning: Britons told to avoid South Sinai". BBC. 19 February 2014. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017.
  29. ↑ "Israeli tourists visit Egypt for first time in 18 months under high security: embassy". Egypt Independent. 5 January 2017. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  30. ↑ Sakr, Taha (31 January 2017). "Flights between Egypt and Russia may resume in February: Russian Izvestia Newspaper". Daily News Egypt.
  31. ↑ Matthews, Owen (24 May 2016). "Metrojet Crash: Why the insider threat to airport security isn't just Egypt's problem". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 10 July 2017.
  32. ↑ Staton, Bethan (31 July 2017). "Tourism in Egypt: Can trained Bedouin guides lure people back to the Sinai Peninsula?". Newsweek.
  33. ↑ Walsh, Declan (18 April 2017). "Gunmen Kill Police Officer Near St. Catherine's Monastery in Egypt". NYT. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  34. ↑ Harris, Emily (23 May 2016). "People Aren't Coming To See The Pyramids Or Snorkel In The Red Sea". NPR. No. All Things Considered.
  35. ↑ "Two Killed in Egypt Tourist Resort". BBC. No. The Newsroom. 14 July 2017. Archived from the original on 20 July 2017.
  36. ↑ Abdelaty, Ali (18 April 2017). "Gunmen Kill Police in Attack Near Egypt's Iconic St. Catherine's Monastery". Reuters. TIME. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  37. ↑ Berman, Lazar; Fabian, Emanuel; Magid, Jacob (October 8, 2023). "Two Israeli tourists killed in shooting attack at Egyptian tourist site". The Times of Israel. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  38. ↑ "Tourists unharmed after Egypt kidnapping ordeal". September 29, 2008 – via www.reuters.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.