World Bulletin / News Desk

Egyptian Tourism Minister Hisham Zazou on Wednesday asserted that September had seen the lowest number of tourist arrivals to Egypt in three decades.

"Egypt received around 50,000 tourists last September compared to about one million during the same month last year," Zazou said at a Cairo conference devoted to tourism in the Arab world.

Egypt has suffered mounting political tension since the July 3 ouster of Mohamed Morsi, the country's first freely elected president, by Egypt's military establishment.

Experts blame the tourist shortfall on the political turbulence that came in the wake of the bloody August 14 dispersal of two sit-ins staged by Morsi supporters in Cairo and Giza in which hundreds were killed.

The minister added that tourist inflows had picked up in October after some countries lifted government-issued advisories against travelling to Egypt.

"Tourism flows will return to normal, with some signs of improvement compared to July and August," Zaazou said.

According to the minister, 21 countries have recently lifted travel advisories against visiting Egypt's Red Sea and the historic cities of Luxor and Aswan.