Tourists Shy Away From Egypt After Uprising
Egyptian officials estimate the tourism industry has lost more than $1 billion since the protests began two weeks ago.
STEVE INSKEEP, Host:
Whether they support their country's protests or not, many Egyptians are slowly returning to their daily lives, but it's not business as usual for Egyptian hotel managers.
GOUDA FAYED: Nobody.
RENEE MONTAGNE, Host:
Nobody. That's what Gouda Fayed told us when we asked who was staying at his hotel, the Sphinx Guest House, which is on the edge of Cairo.
Egyptian officials estimate the tourism industry has lost more than a billion dollars since the protests began two weeks ago.
Mahmoud Mamdouh has worked since 2005 at the Mexicana Sharm Resort in Sharm El- Sheikh on the Red Sea. He says Sharm El-Sheikh is calm, far from the largest protests in Cairo, but that hasn't helped. Business, he says, is the worst he's ever seen.
MAHMOUD MAMDOUH: I don't know what happened. All the people are worried and scared, although Sharm El-Sheikh, it is very far away. It's away from any problems.
INSKEEP: So, little business in Sharm El-Sheikh even though it's far away from the problems. And in Luxor, home to Egypt's ancient Valley of the Kings, things are not much better. Working the front desk of the Steigenberger Nile Palace, Ahmed Hammam says his hotel is a lot quieter than usual. There are still some guests, but very few are Americans.
AHMED HAMMAM: I know it's quite difficult for the American people, you know, because the media, you know how it works. But most of those British people and some other people like Russians, stuff like that, they are feel safe and no problem at all. You know?
INSKEEP: Hammam says even though the protests have damaged his business, he still supports the demonstrators.
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