Luxor4u

Newcastle - I pride myself on thinking that most believe me misguided/incoherent or wrong. So I take your comment badly.

Take some local horror stories that have turned out better than Egypt. First Lebanon - bombed, full of refugees, polluted beaches, politically unstable, expensive (very) - a substantial reduction over the past few years but better than Egypt. Second Israel - bombings, expensive (very) but only down marginally. 3,000,00 for little Israel. Third, benighted Tunisia where they shoot tourists on the beach and are unstable. Their figures are all over the shop but nothing like the Egyptian collapse and stood at an astounding six million in 2014. Very interestingly their figures showed strong early recovery after killings whereas Egypt has collapsed and remained flat after 'troubles'. Many factors at work, of course, but others do ok in bad times in the same region - maybe they are better at managing the psychology and adversity. Maybe they are just better at managing. One difference between Egypt and all the rest is that government does not control the tourist industry and maybe there is more individual and regional initiative and innovation.

I think there is a case that there has been a relative mismanagement of tourism in Egypt. That's coy. This should be no surprise because all other aspects of the economy have been mismanaged for decades/generations. Other countries in similar or worse situations, and with similar or less to offer, have done much less worse or much better.

Personally I believe the holiday makers requirements have changed and that is the biggest problem. So much has gone on throughout the country in the past 4-5 years, some reported others not, some incidents solved others still awaiting. So that's one problem, another problem is lack of money to invest in tourism, without investment nothing will happen, and at this moment of time the pot is empty, probably been drained by poor insight during the past, and investing in things that are meaningless to most local people. It will take millions of LE to bring Luxor into any such shape or form to attract tourists back. If Countrymen will not invest in improvements then no others will invest, because they require some form of security for their investment, this is not on offer at the moment. So it's a catch 22 position, which way the Country will turn who knows, but who ever decisions will soon have to be made, hiding behind others and the non ability to make decisions will not rub too much longer. I remember a long time ago, I cannot remember where I was probably at a Long gone and illusive Governors meeting where someone said that Egypt have the brains to do this that and the other, I think now is the time for them brains to hold a meeting. The time for ripping tourists off in home and land deals is long gone so another form of income must now be thought of. I am so amazed that local people who can be firery have not had something to say about the situation. Most other Countries would gave suffered a barrage of protests.