The prospects for Egypt's vital tourism industry are dire following the crash of EgyptAir flight 804 on 19 May, carrying 66 people from Paris to Cairo. Egypt's top civil aviation official says terrorism is the most likely cause of the crash rather than technical failure, which if proven correct, will mark the third attack on Egyptian aviation in six months. In a statement released by his office, Mohamed Ibrahim said that investigators had found no evidence so far pointing towards terrorism. Furthermore, as Royal United Services Institute's Dr. H A Hellyer points out: "The attack would have exposed flaws in French security, making both France and Egypt the target – and both of those countries have enemies among radical militant groups. " The country continues to grapple with protests over economic instability and security issues, and as previously noted, its tourism industry was already experiencing its worst crisis in years. Egypt's economy grew 4.2% in 2015, but the IMF now expects growth to slow to 3.3% for 2016, down from the 4.3% predicted prior to the attack last November.
The prospects for Egypt's vital tourism industry are dire following the crash of EgyptAir flight 804 on 19 May, carrying 66 people from Paris to Cairo. Egypt's top civil aviation official says terrorism is the most likely cause of the crash rather than technical failure, which if proven correct, will mark the third attack on Egyptian aviation in six months. Analysts are questioning whether this latest tragedy will halt the country's much-needed tourism industry, which according to the World Travel and Tourism Council accounts for around 11% of Egypt's GDP and supports around 11% of its jobs, Olivier Jager from travel intelligence firm ForwardKeys warns: "This is a country that needs tourism to survive." Furthermore, as Royal United Services Institute's Dr. H A Hellyer points out: "The attack would have exposed flaws in French security, making both France and Egypt the target – and both of those countries have enemies among radical militant groups." The country continues to grapple with protests over economic instability and security issues, and as previously noted, its tourism industry was already experiencing its worst crisis in years. Egypt's economy grew 4.2% in 2015, but the IMF now expects growth to slow to 3.3% for 2016, down from the 4.3% predicted prior to the attack last November.