Middle East tourism fell by 9 per cent last year, says the Madrid-based World Tourism Organisation (WTO). Seven million tourists travelled to the region, where the threat of violence against foreigners has severely affected tourism earnings, especially in Egypt. According to a WTO study, Egyptian earnings from tourism fell by 37 per cent last year to $1,700 million, while tourist numbers fell by 28 per cent. However the WTO forecasts a steady rise in tourism to the Middle East, reaching 11 million a year by the end of the century.