Probably limited blogging today as we are very busy preparing a manuscript for publication. We have this item sent to us via email, reproduced with permission:

As you are all very well aware, for over five hundred years, the Valley of
the Kings was the burial place of the Egyptian elite, and for the last three
thousand years, it has been the focus of attention from scholars, travellers
and tourists.

Today, after centuries of damage and looting, the valley is facing its most
severe challenge: its future preservation is uncertain. Unless swift,
radical and all-encompassing action is undertaken, we may see the
destruction of this site within the next twenty-five years. The problems
facing the valley today come predominantly from human intervention, but in
addition, there are natural threats that have also to be managed.

However, the sheer number of visitors (currently at approximately 1.8
Million per annum) brings countless problems, ranging from damage to the
fabric of the site to issues surrounding the provision of tourist facilities
appropriate to the site and the visitors.

It is with this in mind that last year, Dr. Zahi Hawass Secretary General of
the Supreme Council of Antiquities, requested that Dr. Kent Weeks of the
Theban Mapping Project, to take the lead role in developing a masterplan for
managing the Valley of the Kings.

The first stage of developing this masterplan is a consultation process
involving as many stakeholders as possible and we are particularly
interested in the views and suggestions of previous visitors. Therefore, we
invite you to take part in our online survey.

The web address is

http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/survey.html

With Thanks
Nigel J.Hetherington
Conservation Manager
Theban Mapping Project