The lonely pyramids of Giza: Egyptian tourism’s decline

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2017/6/8/the-lonely-pyramids-of-giza-egyptian-tourisms-decline

Dozens of wrinkled Egyptian men sip tea, draw smoke from water pipes and boisterously chat in
Arabic. Stray cats scamper beneath their feet. They lounge at a bustling alleyway cafe, sandwiched
between the labyrinths of crumbling apartment buildings in the heart of Cairo, adjacent to Tahrir
Square.

Just footsteps away, the maniacal spectacle of Cairo traffic is at work. Rusty cars whir by, lurching left
and right, an orchestra of horns trumpeting their arrival and departure from one traffic light to the next.
There’s no time for signalling. Exhaust fumes hang thick in the air. Around each corner, there is
singing, squawking, screaming.

This is both the doorstep to the Middle East, the corridor to North Africa, the launchpad of revolutions
that reverberated worldwide, and the home of more than nine million Egyptians. But despite the
beautiful chaos, Egypt is actually drought-stricken when it comes to visitors.

That reality is more visible, just a few blocks away, towards the banks of the River Nile. The
marble-encrusted lobbies of Cairo’s many luxury hotels overlooking the Nile, once bustling with
globetrotting tourists from every corner of the earth, are now silent.

Still recovering from the hangover of a failed revolution, a string of unfortunate airline disasters, and
most recently, the deadly bombings of Coptic churches in Tanta and Alexandria earlier this month,
Egypt’s once-resilient tourism industry is battered and bruised.

The city’s tour guides, who used to be overworked, have been hit the hardest by the tourism
industry’s fall from grace. “I used to work at least 20 days a month,” said one Egyptian tour guide who
asked that his name be withheld for security reasons. “Sometimes you have to close your phone
because of many people calling you. During Christmas time and Easter holidays, no room, no hotels,
no cars, no guide. Everything was busy.”

“It’s the opposite now, completely,” the Giza-based guide added, with hints of sadness in his voice as
he explained the deterioration of his work. “One month, maybe you don’t work at all. We don’t expect
as many tourists as before. It’s very hard. I was lucky to not quit tourism. Many of my friends, the tour
guides, they quit tourism and they found other work.”

The number of tourists visiting Egypt has plummeted from 14.7 million to 5.4 million in 2016,
according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), costing the country billions.

“It’s pretty dead,” said Steven Cook, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council for
Foreign Relations. Cook noted that Egypt’s tourism industry has often borne the brunt of the country’s
political uncertainty and its security crises. “I think the uprising in 2011 and the uncertainty throughout
the transition period from [Hosni] Mubarak to [Mohamed] Morsi contributed [to] people staying away,”
he added. “It’s really not terribly surprising given everything that’s happened since January 25, 2011,
that Egyptian tourism has been hit extremely hard.”

However, before the most recent Coptic church attacks in Alexandria and Tanta, there were indicators
tourism could be on the upswing in 2017.

Last month, a colossal pharaoh’s head – thought to belong to either Ramses II or King Psammetichus
I – and a limestone bust of Seti II, were unearthed from the mud of a Cairo slum. On the heels of that
find, a new pyramid dating back to the 13th dynasty, was discovered just south of Cairo by an
Egyptian excavation team. These discoveries, both widely publicised, revived international interest in
Egypt as an archaeological hotspot.

Russian flights to Egypt, which have been suspended since the Metrojet bombing in 2015, could also
resume soon, although the prospect remains dubious. Nearly two and a half million Russians visited
Egypt in 2014, making up roughly a third of the country’s visitors, and a revival of this flow in human
traffic would also boost the sagging tourism sector.

Egyptians were also hopeful that Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, actor Will Smith, and football
superstar Lionel Messi‘s recent visits to the pyramids would provide further momentum to a potential
influx in foreign travellers. “People are fascinated by ancient Egypt and so it would bring more people
back,” Cook said in reference to the latest archaeological discoveries.

“The fact that high-profile individuals like Lionel Messi and Will Smith were visiting the country, they
were very hopeful that those were good signs and that they would attract people back to the country,”
he added.

But all this momentum, Cook said, is likely to now be interrupted following this month’s Coptic church
bombings. “Every time [Egyptians] think they’re turning the corner, something else happens that
undermines the tourism industry,” Cook explained. “Whether it’s the MetroJet [bombing] or the
EgyptAir flight [crash], or the expectation that things would change in the coming months, now they’re
dealing with new terrorist attacks, which are likely to scare people away.”

However, Sandra Carvao, a spokeswoman for UNWTO, disagreed. She cited UNWTO data from
January and February, which saw a 52 percent increase in international visitors compared with the
same time last year. Carvao said that despite the recent attacks, she expects tourism to continue to
climb in Egypt through 2017.

“Egypt is a tourism leader both in the region and globally,” Carvao said via telephone from Madrid,
Spain. “It has gone through difficult circumstances before but it has always come back stronger … I
think this time will not be different,” she added.

The bellwether of the Egyptian tourism industry is perhaps the Great Pyramids of Giza. Hundreds,
sometimes thousands, of tourists used to scurry about the idyllic and dusty dunes surrounding the
mighty sunbaked temples. Although tourism is apparently on the rise, exploring the site of the
pyramids is like walking on the moon: it’s deserted, forlorn and uninhabited. The Great Sphinx,
stoic-faced and imposing, and the three looming pyramids surrounding it, are often empty and quiet.

This evident slump in traffic is worrying for the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
UNESCO, which is responsible for preserving the pyramids. “It concerns us because we understand
that dynamic of tourism,” said Peter DeBrine, a senior project officer of UNESCO’s World Heritage
Centre and a coordinator of its Sustainable Tourism Programme. “We look at tourism as a way to
support conservation, so if tourism drops, then that could then have a negative impact on the
conservation of the sites. If they don’t have the resources to protect the site, that’s a huge concern.”

The Grand Egyptian Museum, a billion-dollar project dedicated to Egypt’s antiquities that is expected
to partially open in 2018 in close proximity to the Giza pyramids, has been championed as a savior of
tourism. The 60,000-square-foot structure has been dubbed “Giza’s fourth pyramid” by Egyptian
officials, is roughly five times bigger than the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, and is described as
the largest archaeological museum in the world.

But whether this grandiose museum will translate into an increase of foreign visitors to Egypt and its
pyramids, remains to be seen.
For the handful of current visitors to the ancient site, though, the absence of heavy tourist traffic
allows for an intimate and peaceful encounter with the pyramids that a decade ago, would have been
impossible.

“It was nice not to be surrounded by 400 pushy tourists with Nikon cameras,” said Nicole Haire, 49, a
middle-school Canadian vice principal based in Doha, Qatar, who visited Egypt with her daughter
Hannah in January.

“We went to Egypt to experience the culture but also the history of it, and we experienced that in
isolation,” she added. “I felt like we went back in time. When we walked through different sites, quite
often it was just us and the guide. I truly felt like a part of the fabric of the historic sites we were in.”

Jack Monell, 44, a criminology professor from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, had an equally sublime
experience when he visited the pyramids in March.

“My visit to the pyramids, primarily, it wasn’t as busy as I’ve heard,” Monell described. “I wasn’t
overwhelmed. You could kind of have that surreal experience with these gigantic entities which have
been existent for thousands of years. I’m a native New Yorker. I’m used to crowds and I’m used to
kind of the hustle-bustle of major cities, so it wasn’t overwhelming. It wasn’t uncomfortable. I felt like I
could move around and navigate. It was enjoyable,” he added.

Monell, though, said that the Coptic church bombings in Alexandria or Tanta wouldn’t have altered his
decision to visit had the attacks occurred prior to his trip.

“I would be concerned and apprehensive, but [it] wouldn’t deter me,” he explained. “I’ve travelled all
over the world, and sadly, terrorism is not exclusive to Islamic countries.”

Haire, too, said the attacks were worrying but wouldn’t have stopped her from seeing Egypt. “I don’t
think we can live life in fear of the eventuality of things happening to us,” she said.

The Giza-based guide lamented the attacks but was steadfast in his optimism that he would see a
reversal of his fortunes this year, noting that prior to the Coptic church bombings, he had been busier
than usual.

“[These] things happen everywhere,” he said. “Terrorism is everywhere. In Istanbul you find some
attacks. [Last month] it was London. The media sometimes is exaggerating about things in Egypt.
Egypt is very safe.”

But he added cautiously, “Nothing is sure in this world.”

 Egypt HHH Questions

Here: Right There

1. What event caused the suspension of Russian flights to Egypt in 2015?

The event that caused the suspension of Russian flights to Egypt in 2015 was the Metrojet
bombing.

2. How many tourists visited Egypt in 2016, and what was the significant drop in numbers from the
previous year?

The number of tourists visiting Egypt has plummeted from 14.7 million to 5.4 million in 2016.

3. According to Steven Cook, what major events significantly impacted Egypt's tourism industry?

The major event that significantly impacted Egypt’s tourism industry was the transition period
from[Hosni to Mohamed Morsi.

Hidden: Think and Search

1. What are some factors contributing to the decline in Egypt's tourism industry other than the Coptic
church bombings?

Some factors contributing to the decline in Egypt’s tourism industry other than the Coptic church
buildings are a failed revolution and Honsi Mubarak’s overthrow. There were also airline problems,
which contributed to individuals failing to even enter the country, which plummeted tourism in
Egypt.

2. What indicators suggested a potential upswing in tourism in Egypt in 2017?

In 2017, discovery of new archaeological items were discovered in Egypt which would have caused
people to be more interested in seeing the history of Egypt and the real sources that have existed
during the time. Flights that have been cancelled from Russia to Egypt have resumed, which
means that more people can enter Egypt, boosting tourism. The recent visits of famous figures
would also attract their followers to Egypt, which could help to increase tourism in Egypt.

3. How has the Egyptian tourism industry been historically affected by political and security
uncertainties, according to Steven Cook?

The Egyptian tourism industry has been affected negatively by political and security uncertainties,
which would cause people to fear visiting Egypt. This means that Egypt would have less tourists in
their country and their tourism industry would be negatively affected.

Head: What I Think

1. How do you believe the recent archaeological discoveries in Egypt could positively impact tourism?

I believe that the recent archaeological discoveries in Egypt could positively impact tourism by
attracting more people from around the world. These archaeological discoveries would entice
curiosity in tourists because they would bring about the history of Egypt. Ancient Egyptian history is
popular worldwide, being continuously featured in films and the media. Therefore, new
archaeological discoveries in Egypt would attract people because it would satisfy their interests to
 learn more about ancient Egyptian history.

2. In your opinion, what role do high-profile visits, like those of Angela Merkel and Lionel Messi, play
in boosting tourism?

High profile visits to Europe would attract more people to Egypt, which would boost tourism in
Europe. High profile people have an enormous amount of followers. Whenever these followers see
high profile figures visiting Egypt, they would want to experience what the high profile people have
experienced. These followers would also be more likely to visit Egypt because they feel like they
would have the chance to meet one of their favourite famous figures. Therefore, this would boost
tourism in Egypt because a mass number of people would be visiting Egypt.

3. How might the negative portrayal of Egypt in international media affect tourists' perceptions and
decisions to visit despite safety concerns?

Negative portrayal of Egypt in international media would affect an individual’s perceptions and
decisions to visit Egypt because they would feel that they may be harmed and not have a
pleasantful experience in Egypt. Since the most popular reason for tourism is to have fun and relax,
people would avoid visiting Egypt to avoid an unpleasant holiday. Therefore, tourists may not be
attracted to Egypt and would rather spend their money to visit a location that they feel would satisfy
their wants for a relaxing holiday. The political problems of Egypt that have been portrayed in the
media have caused people to fear the unsafety of Egypt. This means that they would avoid Egypt
to avoid having to pay extra money to protect themselves and to protect their safety.

Over Tourism in Venice

https://www.responsibletravel.com/copy/overtourism-in-venice

Though still proudly known as La Serenissima, ‘the most serene’, Venice on a typical day is anything
but. Overtourism is a major issue here. Once a thriving city, home to a large and proud population of
Venetians and visited by writers, intellectuals and artists hungry for culture, Venice is now swamped
by day trippers, who far outnumber overnight visitors and local residents.

What’s behind overtourism in Venice?

Overtourism boils down to the simple fact of too many people visiting the same place at the same
time and Venice is, sadly, a prime example. Some 20 million visitors flood in each year; on its busiest
days, around 120,000 people visit this city which is home to just 55,000 permanent residents . Many
of these tourists stick to the famous landmarks – the Rialto Bridge, St Mark’s Square – further
concentrating numbers into a tiny footprint. This damages Venice’s fragile buildings, strains its
infrastructure, inhibits local people from going about their business and, frankly, makes for a woeful
visitor experience, too. Nobody benefits, not even the tourists.

The reasons behind overtourism in Venice are complex and manifold, and you can read more about
the overtourism phenomenon here. Many of the same issues crop up in Venice as in Barcelona,
Reykjavik or Dubrovnik – the rapid growth of low cost aviation, cruise ships and peer-to-peer home
sharing platforms are all guilty parties. The rise of the day tripper is a huge problem, too. Ironically, no
one seems to dedicate time to seeing this timeless city. Of the 20 million people who come to Venice
each year, only half sleep here, which is why hotel stays have dropped by two thirds over the past 25
years. Many have poured off a cruise ship – on some days as many as 44,000 cruise passengers
come to the city – or are on a whirlwind tour of Italy. Some stay for just a few hours, see little, buy a
few trinkets and leave. They bring no economic benefit to the city in this way.
Those that do stay for a night or two may also be contributing to Venice’s problems. Property prices
are sky high, with owners converting what could be family homes and lower income rentals into
lucrative holiday accommodation. It’s driving up the cost of housing and means only the very wealthy
can afford to live here.

Over Tourism's impact on Venice

Obviously, life for those remaining local residents is impaired by this influx of day trippers and tourists.
On any given day, they are forced to negotiate crowds and put up with noisy wheelie suitcases, selfie
sticks and often disrespectful behaviour – swimming in canals, picnicking on bridges – as they try to
go about their daily lives. They see the city they love being littered; they watch vast cruise ships chug
up and down the Giudecca Canal four or five times a day, emitting fumes before disgorging
thousands of people; and they reflect on how the artisan spirit of the city has been eroded.

Over Tourism's impact stretches way beyond quality of life, though. With time, overtourism changes
the balance of economic incentives for a whole range of businesses that are important in defining the
character of a city. The food, the goods in shops, even the music being played in bars all lean
towards the tourist taste, and increasingly fail to cater for local people.

It also becomes difficult to find work in any field outside of tourism. And what do you find when poor
employment opportunities, the rising cost of living, transport and property, and a reduced quality of life
combine? Depopulation. Venice has become too expensive, too impractical and just too much of a
tourist theme park for most residents to be able to stay. Three decades ago, more than 120,000
people called Venice home. Today, there are 55,000. By 2030, some demographers predict, there
could be no more full time residents. According to Jonathan Keates, chairman of Venice in Peril, if the
population falls below 40,000, Venice will not be a viable, living city any longer .

What is being done?

In response to local anger, fears over pollution and damage to historical infrastructure, an Italian
government committee ruled in 2017 that cruise ships over 55,000 tonnes will be banned from
entering St Mark’s Basin and the Giudecca Canal from 2021. Rather than docking in the historic
centre of the city, they will have to dock in Marghera on the mainland.

The Mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, has also introduced new and controversial plans for controlling
visitor numbers. In April 2018, he announced a system of segregation, whereby access to popular
sites such as the Rialto and St Mark’s Square will be controlled if crowds become too great, with
tourists diverted along alternative routes and only local and business people allowed to use the most
popular thoroughfares. In addition, any tourists arriving by car via the Ponta della Liberta from the
mainland could be turned away if they don’t have pre-booked parking. The mayor authorised fines of
€500 for noisy, wheeled suitcases being used in the historic centre, as well as fines for littering and
loitering on bridges, swimming in canals, wearing swimwear while sightseeing and picnicking in public
areas.

Despite anti-tourist demonstrations in summer 2017, the mayor’s announcements were not welcomed
by everyone. Protesters dismantled turnstiles designed to separate locals from tourists a day after
they were erected, chanting “Free Venice”. Protester Marco Baravalle said in a video posted on social
media: “We refuse the idea of having checkpoints to get into the city. We own our city. It’s not the
mayor who owns the city. It’s not the police or the tourists either.”

Overtourism is not a new problem in Venice. UNESCO has frequently flagged up the damage being
done to this World Heritage Site. Back in 2014 it told Italy it had until 2016 to act, or plan effective
action, on a list of concerns, including the absence of a sustainable tourism strategy and any kind of
coordinated approach to everything that makes Venice a place of ‘outstanding universal value’. In
2017 UNESCO even threatened to put Venice on its list of sites in danger, a decision it has deferred
until 2018.
This failure to act exasperates many, including Responsible Travel’s CEO, Justin Francis: “How has
this beautiful city ended up in this position? For decades tourism has been threatening Venice.
They’ve found it impossible to confront the growth of tourists visiting from cruise ships or as Airbnb
guests. Now we end up with segregation of tourists and local people. It seems it’s now official that
Venice has been reduced to a theme park. Tourism is about bringing people together, residents and
visitors, and when done properly, both parties should reap the benefits. It should never be about
segregation.”

What can you do?

At Responsible Travel, we believe travel is a privilege and not a right, and it’s a privilege we should
enjoy responsibly. This means travelling in ways which maximise positive impacts and minimise the
negative ones. In the case of Venice, which suffers so squarely with overtourism, this may not seem
straightforward, but simply boycotting a city which, rightly or wrongly, depends almost entirely on
tourism is equally problematic.

Instead, travel off peak – Venice in the winter is eerily beautiful, and often cheaper. Choose to stay
several nights, too, shop and eat locally, and explore off the beaten track, to avoid the popular
hotspots and spread your Euros a little further. As ever, travel respectfully. Talk to local people, learn
a few words of Italian, dress and behave appropriately, show your love. Travelling thoughtfully and
with respect earns you respect, and that’s what people clinging onto a life in this beautiful but troubled
city deserve.
 Venice HHH Questions

Here: Right There

1. What is the estimated number of tourists visiting Venice each year compared to the number of
permanent residents?

There are 20 million yearly visitors with only 55 000 permanent residents.

2. What are some of the famous landmarks tourists often visit in Venice?

Some famous landmarks tourists often visit in Venice are the Rialto Bridge and St Mark’s Square.

3. How has the tourism industry affected the number of hotel stays in Venice over the past 25 years?

Many visitors of Venice come into Venice as day trippers and only stay during the day, which
means it would be unnecessary for them to book a hotel. This has negatively impacted the hotel
industry because less people are spending money to book hotel rooms in Venice.

Hidden: Think and Search

1. What are the major contributors to over tourism in Venice mentioned in the text?

The famous landmarks of Venice make it a popular destination to visit. There are also many cruises
which feature Venice as a cruise stop, causing a huge number of tourists to continuously visit
Venice. Venice is also popular as a day trip, meaning that it is easy to enter Venice anytime from
many places, making it a popular tourist destination

2. How has the rise of day trippers impacted the economic benefit for the city of Venice?

The rise of day trippers means that it is easier for people from multiple locations to easily enter
Venice during the day and leave. This means that people are constantly coming in to Venice and
spending money, providing an economic benefit for Venice.

3. What negative consequences does overtourism have on Venice's local residents, beyond the
physical impact on the city?

Tourists are constantly taking photos and invading the private space of Venetians, which would
negatively affect their quality of life in Venice. There is also constant loud music and entertainment
for tourists which would affect the peace of locals living in Venice. There are also many businesses
that are now trying to cater to fulfil the satisfactions of tourists instead of the locals, which means
that it would be harder to locals to find their needs.

Head: What I Think

1. In your opinion, how does overtourism affect the balance between catering to tourists' tastes and
meeting the needs of local people in Venice?

Overtourism pressures for the tastes of tourists to be met in order to maintain its level of tourism,
which sacrifices the needs of the locals. Tourists constantly want to explore and capture their
experience in Venice by taking photos, which impedes the privacy needs of Venetians. Additionally,
tourists would want to stay in a rented apartment for a cheaper trip but this would mean that the
locals of Venice may have less choices for rent because owners of properties are more willing to
 rent out to tourists since they would be more likely to pay for rent. Because there is over tourism in
Venice, businesses would cater themselves to suit the tastes of tourists, which may differ from the
needs of Venetians, which may make it harder for Venetians to actually find their needs in their
hometown.

2. How might Venice's struggle with over tourism impact the city's long-term sustainability and cultural
identity?

Venice’s struggle with over tourism would impact the city’s long term sustainability for its citizens
and would negatively impact its cultural identity. Venice’s long-term sustainability has been affected
by over tourism because Venice has become like a theme park that has been overcrowded with
tourists, which makes it too unsustainable and impractical to live in. Businesses have also now
catered to the demands of tourists rather than the demands of Venetians, which means that it
would be harder for Venetians to fulfil their needs and satisfactions living in Venice. Tourists also
may disrespect Venice by practising impractical behaviour, such as littering, which would destroy
the architect and environment of Venice, making it more unsustainable to live in. Because there are
more tourists, there are more cruises and modes of transportations going into Venice, which would
mean that there would be too much pollution to live in Venice. There would also be limited authentic
Venetian businesses in Venice because more businesses would try to target tourists in order to
make more profit, making it harder for Venetians to live in and would threaten the Venetian culture.
Overall, Venice would be influenced by tourists, who may bring in foreign practices that would
potentially harm the cultural identity of Venice.

3. What do you think might be some alternative strategies to address tourism in Venice while ensuring
economic stability for the city?

An alternative strategy to address tourism in Venice while still ensuring economic stability for
Venice is by limiting the amount of people allowed to enter which can be done by limiting the
amount of cruises entering into Venice since most tourists of Venice enter as day trippers. Day
trippers cause over tourism and do not bring much economic benefit, so there should be limitations
of tours that come into the city for just a few hours as well. The number would be big enough so
that Venice does not struggle economically but not too big so that the space of Venice is not ruined.
There should also be an entrance fee into Venice so that not anyone can enter Venice, helping to
control its overtourism, with a higher entrance fee for those who are day trippers. The extra fees
that tourists have to pay may balance out the fewer numbers that are entering the city.