The Re-Opening of the Nile

The Re-Opening of the Nile

After 15 years of wasting most of our Nile banks scenery away, the government apparently realized at last that there is more to the Nile than Luxor and Aswan. So they finally reintroduced longer Nile cruises which had been stopped since 1997 to allow only for cruises between Luxor and Aswan.
Better late than never, but still, 15 years? I am sure someone, at some point, told people in the Ministry of Tourism that the Nile went a little beyond Luxor and Aswan lines.
So, in response to the groundbreaking discovery of the unchartered Nile banks’ potential in tourism, Fayza Abou El Naga, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, has announced the new initiative. Abou El Naga, along with Prime Minister Kamal El Ganzoury and Minister of Tourism Mounir Fakhry Abd El Nour, have told the press yesterday that in response to the importance of Nile river activities, Nile cruises to Upper Egypt will be re-introduced by May.

Abd El Nour told the press that this initiative aims to promote local and international tourism. It would also revive the economy of Upper Egyptian cities where handmade traditional goods are abundant and would be attractive for tourists.
The docks at Beni Suef, Minya, Souhag and Assiut had already been prepared for the expected cruises beginning next month.

It’s all well and good, you know, provided we can actually guarantee tourists won’t be held up at Essna in their boats for three days waiting for a strike to end. it would also do our economy wonders if the security situation is finally resolved and we can guarantee that the Nile cruise will not involve a friendly kidnapping here and there. et