CAIRO: Hot air balloon flights over some of Egypt’s most famous attractions have helped buoy a tourism boom in and around Luxor, according to officials.
More than 450 tourists recently took to the air in 25 balloons to get a bird’s-eye view of the area, including ancient temples and the River Nile.
Ahmed Aboud, a representative of a federation of hot air balloon companies in Luxor, said the city had witnessed an upsurge in visitors from around the world and that the flights were proving popular.
However, on Wednesday, due to bad weather, Egyptian civil aviation authorities were forced to cancel 50 hot air balloon flights carrying 700 passengers.
The daily flights usually start soon after dawn with passengers first being served breakfast before being taken by Nile boats and buses for their balloon experience.
