Egypt's hotel occupancy decreased by 64.7 percent after the 25 January revolution compared to the same period last year, according to statistics released by Egypt's tourism ministry. Hotel occupancy rates stood at 33 percent in Cairo, 36.5 in Alexandria, 33.5 in South Sinai, 30 percent at the Red Sea, 23 percent in Luxor, 16 percent in Aswan and 23.1 percent at floating hotels. Ahmed Attiya, the ministry's undersecretary, said that instability in the country caused a decrease in the number of tourist arrivals. He said former President Hosni Mubarak's current residence in Sharm el-Sheikh has changed from a sign of the resort's security to a counter-propaganda symbol. He added that calls to stage protests in Sharm el-Sheikh have made tourists and tour coordinators concerned. Attiya pointed out that Sharm al-Sheikh's present hotel occupancy stands at 33 percent, far less than the year before. The head of the Egyptian Tourism Federation (ETF), Ilhamy al-Zayyat, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that tourists are now leaving Egyptian destinations, opting instead for Turkey in the spring.
