Chinese and Russian visitors boosted Middle Eastern tourism last year following a 2016 slump as Europeans gave the area a wide berth on security fears, according to the World Tourism Organisation (WTO).
The Mideast region as a whole drew 58 million foreign tourists in 2017 — a 4.8 per cent rise on the previous year — the Madrid-based WTO said in its latest figures released midweek.
Extremist attacks on tourist sites in Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey in recent years particularly hit the industry.
But "over time, people forget and return", said Jalel Gasmi, head of Granada Travel Services, a tour operator attending the Fitur international tourism gathering in the Spanish capital.
Despite the annual rise, Marcus Lee, heading the Welcome China agency, said the sector could not rest on its laurels.
Security concerns aside, Mr Lee said rising purchasing power means the Chinese tourist takes a different approach compared to 20 years ago when, "for example … coming to Europe they wanted to see ten countries in ten days".
"That's no longer the case and we are concentrating on one country over ten days," said Mr Lee.
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In the case of Egypt, tourist numbers soared 55 per cent last year, even as European numbers dipped, with Chinese and visitors from Egypt's neighbours taking their place.
Visitor profiles have changed since military man Abdel Fattah El Sisi came to power in 2014 and especially since the 2011 overthrow of longtime Hosni Mubarak.
Before then, "the European market, including Russia, accounted for almost 80 per cent [of tourists] but now, 52 per cent," said Hesham El Demeiry, head of the Egyptian tourist authority, adding Chinese and Indian visitors rose from 5 to 12 per cent while tourists from Egypt's neighbours doubled their share from 15 to 30 per cent.
Turkey, meanwhile, is back in business after the fallout from the July 2016 coup saw visitor numbers slide by a third, before a similar rise last year.
Ankara is out to keep on attracting more visitors from Russia — whose tourists poured in during 2017 — as well as neighbours including Iran and Ukraine.
The downside, according to Turkish tour operator Ahmet Okay, is that the newcomers are likely to spend fewer tourist dollars than their EU or US counterparts.
Tunisia is also on the way back thanks to a surge in Russian and Chinese visitors with a 23 per cent rise in visitors last year over 2016.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
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Price: From Dh439,000
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Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder / 3.0L, turbocharged V6
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Power: 252hp @ 5,000rpm / 354hp @ 5,400rpm
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
