The date of recording for today’s show is September 12, 2024. That’s important because our show today is topical and a little time sensitive. 

I started this In The Now format of episode to highlight certain countries and destinations who have experienced events (whether internally or externally) that have disrupted their tourism numbers. 

A few weeks ago I was chatting with my good friend Haytham Atwan, who is one of our top partners in Egypt. He mentioned that tourism in Egypt took a 60% hit due solely to the conflict happening in Israel and Palestine. Knowing that tourism is a major source of support for the Egyptian people, this really hurt to find out. 

So we put together this episode to give you some background on the history of tourism to Egypt and how things are in the country today from locals who experience it every day. 

Haytham joins me as well as the enthusiastic Egyptologist, Henry Ayoub. We talk about everything from the Arab Spring, to State Department ratings, to the smiling faces of children you’ll see greeting you all throughout your trip to Egypt. If you’ve been on the fence about visiting this spectacular country, I hope hearing this episode will help you decide. 

On another very personal note, I’d like to dedicate this episode to my dear friend Clark Kotula. Avid listeners will remember that Clark was a guest on two past shows, and was the driving force behind our first “In The Now” Episode on Ecuador. Clark - though you are gone, you inspire me every day, and I will keep using this platform to honor your memory and inspire travel across the corners of our beautiful earth. 

I hope you listen to this episode with an open heart and an open mind. 

 

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