The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has warned that Egypt’s inclusion in the UK’s travel list could lead to economic losses of up to $ 1.9 million a day.
The warning was made in a WTTC statement and is based on a study conducted by the council on the level of tourism in 2019.
In a statement, the council added that Egypt’s continued stay on the red list would pose a serious threat to the country’s volatile tourism sector, as well as to the economy as a whole.
In June, Britain put Egypt on the red list for travel, classifying it as a place with an increased risk of coronavirus infection. This strict designation deterred many travelers from Britain from visiting Egypt.
Virginia Messina, senior vice president and acting director general of the WTTC, said: “Every day when Egypt remains on Britain’s ‘red list,’ the country’s economy is losing millions just because of a lack of British visitors. This policy is incredibly strict and dangerous, as travelers from Egypt are also faced with mandatory quarantine at the hotel for a lot of money.
A WTTC study also shows that Egypt’s travel and tourism sector was severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and its contribution to national GDP fell from 505 billion lei (8.8 percent) in 2019 to just 227.5 billion lei (3.8 percent) in 2020.