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Sunday, May 05, 2013

Egyptian hotel workers sexually harass tourists, too

Given that an overwhelming majority of Egyptian women, and foreign women in Egypt, report being sexually harassed, this isn't too surprising:

Hotels will be closed if staff are found to have sexually harassed tourists, Egyptian Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou has said.

Foreign travel agents have complained about the inappropriate behavior of some hotel staff towards tourists,” Zaazou told Al-Hayat 2 private satellite channel on Saturday. “They threaten to remove Egypt from their list of tourist destinations.”

Zaazou told Ahram Online on Sunday that he would meet with members of the Egyptian Hotels Association to discuss the move.

“I am determined to close hotels where sexual harassment has taken place because this behavior has an impact on the country's reputation,” Zaazou asserted.

The tourism ministry has recorded 150 cases of sexual harassment against tourists over the last two years. There have also been three recorded rapes in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.