The decline in revenues caused by near-daily protests and strikes underscores the challenges as Egypt's military rulers and the interim government plot a course toward handing over power to an elected civilian administration.
Tourism Minister Mounir Abdel-Nour was quoted by the state-run Al-Ahram newspaper on Thursday saying that the number of tourists who came to Egypt in 2011 dropped by over 33 percent — to 9.8 million — compared to 14.7 million in 2010. Revenues for the year clocked in at $8.8 billion compared to $12.5 billion in 2010.
Economic woes have led the country to turn again to the IMF after rejecting an earlier loan offer. Earlier in the week, an IMF delegation visited the country, and a formal request for a $3.2 billion support package was issued.
