Tourism boom soon

As the renovation of el-Kebash Road – also known as Rams Road – in eastern Luxor is nearly complete, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is preparing to open with a spectacle similar to the Pharaoh’s Golden Parade last April to attract world attention to this country and Luxor in particular.

The 2.7-kilometre road from the Karnak Temple in the north, passing through the Temple of Mut and ending with the Luxor Temple in the south, is flanked by statues.

Ali Ghoniem of the Egyptian Federation of Tourist Chambers is optimistic, saying that this winter would be very good for tourism now that the Karnak Temple restoration and the Rams Road (a distinctive landmark that to market tourism) are almost complete.

International flights at all Egyptian airports were suspended in March 2020 as part of government efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19. Not surprisingly, tourist numbers fell dramatically throughout 2020. However, Egypt resumed international flights only a few months later.

Ministry of Tourism figures show a noticeable increase in tourist arrivals since the beginning of 2021. Egypt welcomed 300,000 tourists every month. By April, this figure rose to more than half a million a month, around 50 per cent of visitors pre-pandemic.

Ghoneim told the Egyptian Gazette that there are several indicators that tourism could witness a boom within the next two years and return to pre-Covid levels.

“Last month, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities allowed hotels to receive guests at full capacity, while maintaining stringent regulations to protect the health and safety visitors and staff. This is in addition to vaccinating all tourism workers in Red Sea resorts.

“In recognition of our efforts to implement strict safety measures in all tourist facilities, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) granted Egypt its Safe Travels Stamp,” Ghoneim said.

“Also, in August Russia resumed flights to Egypt’s Red Sea resorts, ending a ban that had lasted almost six years,” he added.

According to Ghoneim, all the above-mentioned factors, combined with ‘cabin fever’ many people have suffered as they were denied foreign travel for the last 18 months, could work strongly in favour of Egypt’s tourism industry.

Russian and British tourists come top.

More than 3 million Russians came in 2014, representing more than 30 percent of all tourists that year. This was before a significant drop in 2015 due to the Russian plane crash off Sinai.

Hani Peter of the Egyptian Travel Agents Association, also expects a significant improvement in tourism rates this winter as American Radisson, French Hilton and Ritz returned to work in Egypt’s Red Sea resorts after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

He told this newspaper that these international hotel corporations want to increase their investments in the country now that there is a noticeable rise in the number of tourists coming to Egypt, especially to Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh and Marsa Alam.

“They are confident that Egypt’s tourist sector will see a significant growth within the coming period,” he said.