Should tourists still visit Egypt? Both Britain and the U.S. are advising their citizens to avoid all demonstrations in Egypt. Egyptian tourism minister quits Vital industry is in crisis Visitor numbers have fallen by one-third Be cautious, Britain tells travelers; don't go, says U.S. (CNN) -- Egypt's tourism industry has suffered another blow with the resignation of the country's tourism minister, Hisham Zazour. Zazour handed in his resignation along with five other ministers, including the foreign minister, over violent demonstrations that threaten to bring down the country's government. The present crisis was the last straw for a man with one of the toughest jobs in tourism. He had threatened to resign last month over the appointment as Luxor governor of a member of a political group associated with a massacre in the city 15 years ago that killed 58 tourists. The minister's resignation comes amid a climate of violence that can only deter more travelers from visiting Egypt. At least 16 people have been killed and 780 injured in the latest protests in Tahrir Square and elsewhere in the country against the Muslim Brotherhood-led government of Mohamed Morsy. There have also been reports of more than 40 rapes and sexual assaults amid the recent protests against Egyptian and foreign women. Tourism vital The pyramids of Giza, the Nile and the coastal resorts of Sharm-el-Sheikh are among the world's most popular tourist attractions. The industry is vital to Egypt's economy. Tourism employs around 10% of the Egyptian workforce and brought in $10 billion in 2012, according to UNWTO figures. However, anti-government protests beginning in 2011, part of the revolutionary movement sweeping the Middle East, have hit tourism hard. Visitor numbers have fallen by almost one-third, from 14 million in 2010 to 10.5 million last year. Should you still go? Should you still visit Egypt? There have been bargains aplenty as travel operators have tried to woo back travelers to what has long been one of the world's most popular sun-sea-and-sights destinations. Yet official travel advice on Egypt urges caution -- or to avoid traveling to the country at all. Warning of a mood of hostility and suspicion to foreigners, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office urges travelers to steer clear of "all demonstrations and large gatherings." It also notes the reports of sexual assaults amid the protests but continues to state that "most visits" to Egypt are trouble-free. It is true that, as protests have surged and dwindled over the past two years, violence has largely been confined to Cairo and other cities, rather than the coastal resorts popular with package holiday tourists. The Association of British Travel Agents struck a similar note. "July and August traditionally see lower numbers of holidaymakers travelling to Egypt than the rest of the year," a spokesman told CNN Travel. At this stage, outside of Cairo it is very much business as usual, and holiday makers are enjoying their holidays without interruption. U.S. citizen dies The U.S. State Department, however, advises its citizens to defer all "non-essential" travel to or within the country. A U.S. citizen, Andrew Pochter, 21, died after being stabbed in the chest at a protest in the city of Alexandria last Friday. Political unrest in Egypt is "likely to continue in the near future," the State Department says. Whatever the political outlook for the country, its vital tourism industry is likely to take years to recover from its violent recent history.