Tourism receipts were sensitive to the exchange rate and the security
situation in Egypt and the Middle East region. Tourism revenues
during the period 1965–2000 were estimated by a variety of methods,
none fully satisfactory. Initially, the Ministry of Tourism used a
formula in which the average tourist expenditure of $64 a night in
1977 was taken as a base. For subsequent years, the average expenditure
was assumed to have increased by 15 percent per annum; this
average was multiplied by the number of registered tourist nights
spent in the country. This procedure was later modified, but as
Tohamy and Swinscoe (2000: 4–5) point out, because the spending of
the large number of expatriate Egyptians taking their vacations in
Egypt are not included in tourism receipts (contrary to the World
Tourist Organization’s guidelines), the recorded figures might
significantly understate the actual revenues.