CAIRO: Special one-day trips have helped to boost tourism in the Luxor governorate in southern Egypt during the current winter season.
The increase in numbers has helped traffic toward the Karnak and Luxor temples.
The winter season continues until April and the weather conditions have been ideal for touring between the ancient temples and tombs in east and west Luxor.
A one-day trip from Hurghada to Luxor to sample the archaeological attractions has played a major part in helping to boost tourism traffic to places such as the historical city of Thebes.
The Luxor trip from Hurghada takes place on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays every week.
Tourists travel to Luxor to visit the temples of Karnak and Luxor in the east, and then cross the Nile to visit the ancient monuments of the west, including the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the Temple of Ramesseum, the Colossi of Memnon, the city of Habu, and the Valley of the Kings.
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Mohamed Othman, head of the Cultural Tourism Marketing Committee in Luxor, said that the visits witnessed during the current season will eventually exceed the numbers recorded in 2019.
Mohamed Othman, head of the Cultural Tourism Marketing Committee in Luxor, said that the visits witnessed during the current season will eventually exceed the numbers recorded in 2019.
The number of worldwide visitors to Egypt is expected to reach more than 14 million this year, he added.
He said an initiative called “Follow the Sun” had been launched by the Ministry of Tourism to attract Europeans to live in Luxor, and some 175 families had already been encouraged to do so.
He added that the future will see more cultural events and conferences in Luxor, with five presentations already made to hold fashion shows in its temples.
Othman said the city was witnessing an unprecedented boom as occupancy increased during the winter season, in both fixed and floating hotels.
The increase in occupancy had been a result of Luxor attracting new visitors from markets such as Southeast Asia and China.
There has also been a 30 percent increase in visitors from the Spanish market.
