AT first glance, the situation in Cairo has completely returned to normal impressed. The capital of Egypt was busy with a variety of people's daily activities are not much different from other major cities in the world.
Major roads back busy, filled with thousands of cars that drove one after another, sometimes feels so chaotic, even for the people of Jakarta though. Around Tahrir Square, for example, which became the epicenter of the revolution in Egypt since 2011, sea traffic the car was made was locked at some point.
Not seen again demonstrations or other mass actions in the historic square. Monday (10/20/2014) afternoon and then, only seen some residents mingle while taking pictures in one corner of the square. The rest was a flurry of workers who are working to build an underground car park beneath the square.
True, physical development activities back writhing in Cairo. Right in front of Tahrir Square, workers also completing renovations hotel The Nile Ritz-Carlton that will add to the long row of an international hotel chain operating in Cairo.
Traces of revolution for three years, mired in a number of casualties was little and ended with the victory of the former military junta leader in presidential elections, as it left again.
However, if we look more closely, the remnants of tension Egyptian revolution that nearly brought to the brink of a split is still there. Rows of armored vehicles and trucks carrying paramilitary police in Egypt are still visible parking Ennahda Square neighborhood near the University of Cairo, Giza.
In an alley right in front of the Egyptian National Museum is located in one corner of Tahrir Square are still lined up even more than 10 armored vehicles belonging to the army troops.
Soldiers and police were still on full alert at the back of the machine gun on top of the vehicles.
Not fully recovered
In addition, the main tourist resorts in Cairo, as the region of Al-Azhar Mosque and the Coptic Museum in the Old City of Cairo, is also closely guarded paramilitary police wearing masks and carrying a rifle. All were imaged security atmosphere that has not fully recovered, although on the other hand, their presence brings a sense of security for tourists.
Another sector that has yet to recover from the effects of the revolution is tourism, which is one of the main sources of foreign exchange Egypt. Calls Ahram Online news portal, the number of foreign tourists (tourists) to Egypt is still declining in the first half of this year while most European countries-the main source of tourists to Egypt-has lifted a travel ban to the country.
Citing data from the Ministry of Tourism of Egypt, Ahram Online said, the number of tourists in June, down 20.5 percent compared to the same period in 2013. The Reuters news agency said the number of foreign tourists in 2011, when the Egyptian revolution began, dropping to 9.8 million tourists from the amount of the previous year of 14.7 million people.
Although it rose again to 11.5 million foreign tourists in 2012, foreign tourists back to Egypt dropped to 9.5 million tourists in 2013 because there was a terrorist attack on a number of attractions.
Effects tourists decline is seen in the complex of the Great Pyramid of Giza, which is a major tourist destination in Egypt. One of the wonders of the world's most popular looks deserted, Tuesday (10/21/2014). Not a lot of people passing by on the main page of Khufu, the largest pyramid in the complex-it-or visited the souvenir stalls nearby.
"Before the revolution, the court is usually filled with thousands of people from different countries. However, since the revolution, the place is deserted. Now it has started bustling again, but not fully normal, "said Ashraf El Naggar, a tour guide in Giza.
optimistic
Quoted by Reuters, Egyptian Tourism Minister Hisham Zazou optimistic that the number of tourists to Egypt will continue to grow in line with the improving security situation in the country.
"Our road is still long, but I feel more optimistic now because the number of tourists is growing less per month since June," said Zazou.
Egypt is also more heavily promoting its tourism potential to a number of countries outside Europe, such as China and India. In fact, now the Egyptian tourism promotion has also penetrated the countries of Southeast Asia, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
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