Head of the parliamentary bloc of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, Essam al-Erian, said on Sunday that tourism will rise, insisting however that Egypt is larger than to be influenced by foreign ideologies.

Erian explained that tourism can be revived with the efforts of Islamist movements, the willingness of the people and a shift in the behavior of those who work in the tourism sector.

In a Facebook statement, the Brotherhood senior member disregarded concerns over "the flow of Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Iranian, German and European" tourists into Egypt, insisting that religious institutions and movements will retain the country's Sunni identity.

Erian's comment comes to reassure rising fears of Shiaa influence in Egypt in light of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi's reach out to repair ties with Tehran.

A direct flight from Cairo to Tehran took off on Saturday for the first time in 34 years since Iran's Islamic revolution.