The number of tourists who visited Egypt in the first half of 2012 increased by 26.8 percent compared to the same period last year, Minister of Tourism Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, Egyptian media reported on Friday.
The number of tourists this year has passed 5. 6 million, according to the minister.
Although the number of tourists coming in from the U.K dropped by 7 percent, the number of Russian visitors increased by 80 percent, the Polish by 66 percent and the Germans by 30 percent in addition to a 36 percent increase among tourists coming in from the Middle East, Abdel Nour said.
Charter airlines plan to increase their flights starting from September with incentives offered by the ministry. Meanwhile, some countries, such as Turkey, will be exempted from visa fees.
As a result, the ministry is expecting more growth in the second half of the year. About 12 million tourists are expected to visit the country this year, which is about 2 million short of the initial target.
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