After massive financial losses in the tourism industry in 2020, the Egyptian government threw extravagant made-for-TV events into 2021 to attract new international visitors. But a rising swell of critics say the glamor did little to bring more desperately needed jobs and revenue to the people who work in the industry. For VOA, Hamada Elrasam has this photo story. Captions by Elle Kurancid.
In Photos: Highs and Lows of Egypt’s 2021 Effort to Boost Tourism
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Egyptian officials attend the reopening ceremony for Luxor’s “Avenue of Sphinxes,” in Luxor, Nov 25, 2021. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
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Major state-affiliated newspapers accuse the government of wasting money on propaganda for the tourism industry, without improving income and jobs for tourism workers. Compilation created Dec. 13, 2021, in Cairo. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)