Tourism Trumps Residents in Egypt

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.

1 minute read

March 3, 2010, 12:00 PM PST

By Tim Halbur


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."

Wednesday, March 3, 2010 in Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS)

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