Tourism is a vital pillar of the Egyptian economy. Hisham Zaazou, senior assistant to Egypt’s minister of tourism, pointed out the sector’s “exponential expansion“ since 1982. According to Zaazou, the number of tourists visiting Egypt jumped from 1.4 million in 1982 to 12.5 million in 2009. Revenue totals rose from US$300 million in 1982 to…