In wake of crash, Egypt opens tombs to spur tourist interest

The opening, planned before the airline disaster, is part of government plans to highlight new archaeological sites to encourage tourism.

The cause of Saturday's crash of a Metrojet flight packed with Russian vacationers returning home from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh is under investigation, but the Islamic State extremist group has claimed responsibility and British Prime Minister David Cameron said it was "more likely than not" that a bomb brought down the flight.

Tourism, a key foreign currency earner for Egypt's economy, is making a gradual recovery after years of political upheaval, but the future would be grim if it's proven that an Islamic State bomb indeed brought down the Russian passenger plane.

In a northern corner of Sinai, the army is already fighting Islamic militants who in recent months claimed allegiance to the Islamic State group, but such a revelation would undermine government claims that the insurgency is under control and Egypt is safe for tourists.

Morsi Shehata, general manager of Cairo-based Spring Tours Egypt, which organizes beach vacations in Sharm el-Sheikh and has 12 Nile cruise boats, said the British government's decision will undoubtedly cause a "negative impact" on his business.