Egypt

The road to democracy will take some time in Egypt says Robyn Galloway, MD of Innovative Travel.  When the "facebook:" revolution occurred no one expected an overnight miracle with an instant transition to a perfect democracy  Given the history of western nations whose pathway to democracy often took centuries, this would be an unrealistic view.   Importantly as Egyptians hold on to their new freedoms, there is a clear separation in the conflict with frustration directed at the interim Government. but not in any way towards tourists says Robyn. .Since the overthrow of the old regime, issues of unrest between Cairo and Luxor have largely been resolved.  So for the first time in 15 years, Nile Cruises have been re instated to sail between Cairo and Aswan which is a very positive step forward.

The Innovative Travel business partner Cairo based, Elhamy El Zayat (NZ Order of Merit) has been voted by all tourism owners to represent them as the Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Authority. As such he has played a key role in discussions with the Islamic Brotherhood in regard to the future of tourism and the leadership agrees that tourism is very important.  The rules have not changed for tourists the Government has not attempted to legislate on the type of clothing that tourists should to wear such as abbaya.  Those kinds of reports were a scare mongering tactic, says Robyn

For travellers considering Egypt as a destination it is important to understand that while there is frustration against the current interim Government, no anger has been directed at tourists who continue to be made welcome in Egypt.  Our own feedback from clients continues to be very positive.  We have an advantage in that our Head Office is in Tahir Square, so our local drivers and guides know when to avoid traffic or "people" jams.  In addition we have 6 other local offices with local representatives in each key tourist destination including Luxor, Aswan, Alexandria and Abu Simbel. They are in constant contact with our clients regardless of the local situation.  Having this kind of infra structure is a point of reassurance for us as a key Egyptian Tour Operator. There will be a period of increased protests over the next 2 or 3 days, however mid December is not a time when New Zealanders are traditionally in Egypt; as many NZ choose to spend their holidays in NZ or are travelling for VFR in December says Robyn.
update as at December 2012