Egypt - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Lights
2. Performer dancing
3. Customers watching dancing
4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohamed El Hassanein, member, Chamber of Egyptian Tourism Companies (starting with shot 3/ending with shots 5-7):
"Ramadan in Egypt is different than any other Arab and Muslim country. The way it's practiced here is a source of attraction to people from other Arab countries. They are keen to come to Egypt because, apart from the religious rituals, Egypt is known more for the many events that take place every night during the month."
5. Religious rite in progress
6. Market
7. People watching performance
8. Women choosing goods at booth
9. Event in progress
10. Various of pedestrians, buildings, traffic
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Ghada Shalaby, Vice Minister of Tourism and Antiquities (partially overlaid with shot 12):
"We have a strategy to promote tourism in the Arab countries in the coming few weeks during Ramadan and during Eid. And I'm sure that lots of Arabs they want to come. It's just their countries' regulations because of the pandemic. The idea that we have the hotels, and the hotel establishments, restaurants and touristic places open is quite appealing to the Arabs and it is an easy exit for their long waiting in isolation because of the pandemic."
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
12. Various of tourists at coastal resort
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
13. Various of people in restaurant
14. Street scene
15. Pedestrians
16. Deck chairs, umbrellas
17. People at buffet
18. Hotel clerks
19. Tourists talking with hotel clerk
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Ghada Shalaby, Vice Minister of Tourism and Antiquities (starting with shot 19):
"What we've been doing in the past few months is to ensure that the health and safety and regulations that we are following in the hotel establishments ensures the health and safety of the travelers."
24. Various of coastal resorts, tourists

Egypt is betting on increased tourist demand during the final week of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with the North African state seeing increased bookings from tourists in neighboring Arab nations in the second half of the month.

The demand to visit Egypt during the final week of Ramadan and the Eid festivities that follow have been a breath of fresh air for the stricken tourism industry.

Egypt received three million Arabs out of the 14 million visitors who jetted in pre-COVID in 2019 and they spent three times more than their counterparts.

"Ramadan in Egypt is different than any other Arab and Muslim country. The way it's practiced here is a source of attraction to people from other Arab countries. They are keen to come to Egypt because, apart from the religious rituals, Egypt is known more for the many events that take place every night during the month," said Mohamed El Hassanein, a member of the Chamber of Egyptian Tourism Companies.

Visitors to Egypt usually arrive for the summer holidays, but the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has been trying to promote Ramadan as a new season for the neighbors to visit the North African state.

"We have a strategy to promote tourism in the Arab countries in the coming few weeks during Ramadan and during Eid. And I'm sure that lots of Arabs they want to come. It's just their countries' regulations because of the pandemic. The idea that we have the hotels, and the hotel establishments, restaurants and touristic places open is quite appealing to the Arabs and it is an easy exit for their long waiting in isolation because of the pandemic," said Ghada Shalaby, Vice Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt.

There's been a slight easing of coronavirus restrictions in Egypt after authorities extended working hours for restaurants, cafes and malls. But the government has kept other regulations in place like social distancing, mask wearing in public areas and maintaining 50 percent capacity in hotels and restaurants.

The government is also inoculating all employees in the tourism and aviation sectors, which it has placed as a priority segment.

"What we've been doing in the past few months is to ensure that the health and safety and regulations that we are following in the hotel establishments ensures the health and safety of the travelers," said Shalaby.

Tourism revenue, a key source of foreign currency for Egypt, dropped by over 70 percent in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. These efforts are meant to partly sustain the industry until it fully recovers.