Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — Egypt has become ranked as dangerous for tourists.

The World Economic Forum has determined that Egypt became one of the
most dangerous countries for visitors. In a report, the forum ranked Egypt
85 out of 140 countries regarding the threat to tourists.

“Egypt is ranked 10th regionally, dropping 10 positions in the global
assessment to reach 85th overall, probably the result of the continuing
unrest in the country,” the report, dated March 5, said.

The report, titled The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index 2013,
placed Egypt as the most dangerous for tourists regarding police reliability
and traffic safety. Yemen, which placed 139, came ahead of Egypt on the
list.

Over the last year, Egypt dropped 10 places — from 75 to 85. The report
cited concerns of the state of ground, tourism and communications
infrastructure.

“Most notably, the evaluation of the safety and security environment has
dropped to the lowest position of all countries covered in the Report,
140th,” the report said. “Further, rules and regulations are seen as less
conducive to the development of the sector, with a middling rank of 76.”

The U.S. State Department, on the other hand,  has warned against travel to such countries as
Yemen and Pakistan rather than Egypt.

The United Arab Emirates, 28th on the list, was regarded as the most
attractive venue for tourists. The report cited the UAE’s liberal visa
regime, liberal foreign investment policy and services for business
travelers.

  low policy reliability, Report: Continuing unrest makes Egypt dangerous place for tourists, Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index 2013