Egypt attracts over 1m British tourists

Over one million British tourists visited Egypt last year, an increase of 23 per cent from 2005 reports the African country's tourist board.

Statistics released by the Egyptian Tourist Authority (ETA) claim that Britons were the country's largest holiday market, reports Travel Weekly.

The publication added that the number of nights British tourists stayed in Egypt during 2006 has increased by 21 per cent to 9.1 million.

In the autumn 2006, the ETA launched a multi-million pound advertising campaign entitled "The Gift of the Sun", aiming to increase tourism to Egypt.

The country's tourism minister Zoheir Garranah is looking for the country to attract 16 million annual tourists by 2014.

Meanwhile, the Belfast Telegraph recommended Egypt as part of its top travel destinations for 2007, following the recent discovery of flower garlands preserved from the time of the ancient Pharaohs.