africa regions
turns the tide Egyptian tourism
Egypt is working hard to recoup visitor numbers lost due to the continued ban on fl ights to Sharm el Sheikh airport, reports Katherine Lawrey
T
he Egyptian State Tourist Authority is planning for Hurghada to help fi ll the gap created by the
drop in UK visitors to Sharm el Sheikh, with the Red Sea resort taking centre stage in the latest UK outdoor and digital advertising campaign.
Amr El Ezabi, Egyptian State Tourist Authority UK and Ireland director, tells WTM Insights: “Our strategy is focused on raising awareness of Hurghada as a state-of-the-art beach destination catering for all the needs of sun and sea tourists. In 2017, UK visitors increased 40% year-on-year with almost no eff ort. It’s picking up and gaining the confi dence of the British tourist but it still needs more awareness. Through advertising and in partnership with tour operators, I think we can easily double the British market for Hurghada.” Hurghada, which stretches for 25 miles along the Red Sea, was in the past mostly known as a destination for divers but is now one of the main tourist hubs in Egypt, off ering plenty of choice when it comes to hotels, beaches, water parks, restaurants, nightlife, marinas and markets.
Open for business Burgeoning Marsa Alam, on the
southwest shore of the Red Sea, also features in the advertising campaign. New accommodation and an increased schedule of four direct UK fl ights a week in 2018 make it an increasingly attractive destination for desert safaris, snorkeling and swimming with dolphins. Marsa Alam is also within a few hours’ drive of Luxor for those who want to take in some history.
El Ezabi adds: “All Egypt is open except for Sharm el Sheikh. That’s the message we’re trying to convey. And if you like Sharm, we have other Red Sea
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resorts such as Hurghada, El Gouna, Sahl Hashish, Makadi Bay, Soma Bay and Marsa Alam, so lots of choice.”
Russia and the UK
were Sharm el Sheikh’s biggest markets, but neither country has permitted airlines to fl y direct to the Red Sea resort since the bombing of a Russian passenger jet on October 31, 2015, killing all 224 passengers onboard. The eff ect on Sharm el Sheikh was also catastrophic, turning it into a ghost town – before the ban, 1.2 million Britons and 1.8 million Russians visited the resort annually.
Picking up numbers Egypt’s tourist board has worked hard
in the past three years to diversify its source markets, and numbers have picked up rapidly from the low of 5.5 million total arrivals in 2016. Last year, arrivals climbed 53% to 8.5 million, with increased movement from Arab and North
Abu Simbel is one of Egypt’s southern-most archaeological sites
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