Tourism Trumps Residents in Egypt

Posted by: Tim Halbur

3 March 2010 - 12:00pm

The temple of Luxor is a must-see on the Egyptian tourism route, and city officials are clearing homes of locals out of the way to uncover an ancient parade route. Locals say the government is creating an excuse to clear low-income residents.

Cam McGrath writes, "The home demolitions are part of a government-backed master plan that ostensibly aims to protect Luxor's ancient heritage and increase its tourism revenue. The plan calls for removing encroachments on the city's archaeological sites and relocating residents to new planned communities. It outlines extensive infrastructure improvements and new tourist facilities with the goal of creating the world’s largest open-air museum by 2030.

But the plan has drawn fire for its aggressive gentrification."

Full Story: Families Uprooted as Sphinxes Revive

Source: Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS), March 3, 2010