Egypt tourism bounces back despite ongoing insurgency in Sinai

Egypt's tourism industry appears to have reversed its downward slide as revenues more than doubled in the third quarter compared to the previous year, according to an official at the ministry of tourism.

The multibillion dollar industry has suffered a turbulent few years since Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak left office in 2011 amid massive popular demonstrations.

The country has seen three presidents in as many years, with political instability and violence throughout the country frightening off potential visitors.

While the current government is struggling to combat an insurgency in the east of the country, the tourism ministry data shows that more people have visited Egypt in summer 2014 than in the previous year. Government officials have said the Sinai insurgency is limited to a small part of the desert peninsula, far away form the popular beach resorts on the Red Sea.

"Egypt's tourism revenues reached $2bn in the third quarter of this year compared to $900m in the same quarter of last year," Adela Ragab told Reuters news agency.

"The number of tourists reached 2.8m compared to 1.6m in the same quarter last year."

The country's tourism minister predicted in September that tourism could fully recover by the end of 2015, if the political turmoil in the region did not spread to the Egypt.