There is no doubt that last winter, cruises on the Nile had generated new and high interest.

In the first quarter of 2018, tourism generated $2.2 billion, almost twice the income of 2017. But tourism has not yet become once again the driving force of the Egyptian economy dreamed by its promoters.

Egypt’s return into the interest of the tourists was confirmed this summer, with particularly sharp increases in the number of visitors on the shores of the Red Sea, which saw an influx of people on its sunny beaches.

Egypt has come a long way. Great insecurity accompanied its political chaos. It had scared away the tourists. Since taking power, President al-Sissi has made it a priority task to restore security, even if it means using methods that are at the very least authoritarian. Although people think of the unorthodox methods used, the measures taken have helped to bring tourists back with some security.

The 50% devaluation of the Egyptian currency, which led to a significant drop in the cost of a stay in Egypt, has, of course, also contributed to the relative recovery of tourism. Prices will probably go up.

Moreover, the number of flights to Egypt has collapsed, and airlines have all, and quite logically, reduced the number of their flights. It is now necessary to increase the number of rotations again. It is a challenge to be taken up to receive more visitors.

Tourism in the Red Sea is, as we have seen, the first to start again, followed by the Nile Valley, resulting in the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs. It was a crucial issue for the government, which wanted to raise fuel subsidies. This test still needs to be transformed.

Currently, Egypt’s main foreign customers are Germans, followed by Ukrainians, Italians, Chinese and Americans, followed by Saudis and Kuwaitis.

The Egyptians hope to see the French finally return to Egypt in large numbers, and not only to the Nile Valley, which is a favorite of cultural tourism enthusiasts, but also to the Russians who have deserted since all 224 occupants of an Airbus A321 over the Sinai, most of whom were Russian tourists, were killed in an attack in 2015. An attack immediately claimed by Daech.

And tourism in the footsteps of the Holy Family, whose development Egypt regularly mentions? The Egyptians are working on it. Itineraries have been drawn up, places of reception are already ready, especially in Cairo. But they still have to work, invest.
If the millions of tourists who have left the country return, the Egyptians will be more than overwhelmed and more than delighted.

Abroad, you can’t access your favorite sites because of censorship? Here is why and primarily how to circumvent censorship on the Internet.

When traveling abroad, you may not be able to access your favorite websites or specific social networks. Several reasons for this:

Countries practicing censorship on the Internet

The country practices some censorship on the Internet. This is the case in countries such as China, Iran, and Cuba. For example, in Iran, it is impossible to access Facebook and many other websites. However, we can also talk about Vietnam or Turkey.

The extent of this censorship varies from country to country. Here is a map showing the extent of this practice around the world. It was established by RSF a few years ago:

In short, it is painful if you want to keep in touch with your loved ones. Sometimes even your email can be blocked. The same goes for Skype.

Sites blocked by a local provider.

Not to mention censorship, it is possible that your site is inaccessible from the country where you are. This has happened to me several times during my travels. I remember Guatemala in particular, where I could not access my blog. Which was annoying, because it was impossible for me to work on.

In this case, it was the local provider that had blocked my server IP, for some obscure reason. Indeed, I was probably not targeted because you should know that if your site is hosted on a shared server, which is usually the case, your IP address is similar to hundreds of others. However, it is enough for one host to block the IP of a particular site for all the others to be as inaccessible.

What can be done against Internet censorship abroad?

Simple, the most practical solution is to use a VPN when traveling.

What is a VPN?

In general, it is a small program to download and which, once activated, will offer you an encrypted connection between your computer or smartphone and a server located in a censor-free area.

If you are in Iran for example, by activating your VPN, you will connect to an IP in France for example. It’s like surfing while you’re in France, so no problem!

The advantages of using a VPN are not limited to Internet censorship:

You can surf anonymously.
Your data is encrypted. So you can surf safely.
Without necessarily being in a country practicing censorship on the Internet, a VPN allows several things when traveling:

You are at the airport and need to check your bank accounts? As you know, in general, the wifi offered by airports is public. A hacker or a fraudster can, therefore, intercept your data. Risky. With a VPN, no problem!

You can also save money by finding cheaper hotels and plane tickets. Indeed, prices vary according to location.

Which VPN to choose?

There are a large number of free VPNs. The problem is that these VPNs have advertising and are limited in connection time and speed.

With a paid VPN, no time and data limitation. The comfort is there and the quick connection. For a fee, it is only a few euros per month.

In an airplane, space is scarce and constrained. Especially when trying to make travel affordable, airliners tend to maximize the number of seats available on board. To remedy the discomfort that this implies for passengers, airlines and aircraft manufacturers are multiplying initiatives. In addition to ergonomic seats, the initial focus was on in-flight entertainment.

No more screens common to all, now the individual screen prevails with an ever more extensive choice of content. Another factor, less visible and yet essential, has recently been the object of all the attention of airlines: that of light on board.

No more neon that you turn on or off with no other choice than “on” or “off.” Now, thanks to the LEDs, the crew can choose among a wide range of atmospheres and thus modulate the lighting according to the phases of dinner, sleep, and awakening. To understand how these variations of light are elaborated, we went to Hamburg to the center of “Cab Definition.”

Give the impression of space.

In this 4,500 m² space set up by Airbus in a former aircraft factory, customers, in this case, airlines, select what they need for their onboard facilities. There is furniture specially adapted for kitchens, or new luggage boxes with a capacity increased by 40%. And of course the lighting equipment. In a “mock-up”, hear a life-size cabin model, tests are performed with a choice of millions of colors.

Companies quickly understood that lighting environments would be a distinctive asset that would enable them to strengthen their brand image. Because as soon as they enter the cabin, passengers are marked by the atmosphere produced by the light composition. “Light is a big part of the feeling,” explains Paul Edwards, our guide during this visit. The goal is, therefore, to give the impression of space while differentiating itself from other companies. Finnair will choose a sober atmosphere when Qatar Airways is more luxurious and colorful.

However, this choice is not without constraints, as it is essential to take into account the materials used for the walls and seats of the aircraft if bad associations are to be avoided. Depending on the tones chosen, a metal piece, for example, will look very chic or completely fake. There is a golden rule of mood lighting on which all companies align themselves: no direct light.

Because beyond aesthetics, luminance – that is, the perceived light intensity of a material – also helps passengers to respect the rhythms of sleep. A light that dims gently at bedtime and imitates sunrise a few hours later will help fight jet lag. We even study the variations of the lights depending on where we are on the plane. Nothing is left to chance.