War Will Not Stop Egypt’s Tourism Growth

210,000 Future Hotel Rooms are a clear indicator of needed optimism by Egyptian Tourism officials.

The Egyptian Vision 2030 plan was launched in February 2016 by the Egyptian Government and unveiled by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisito.

This national agenda is not necessarily tourism-related but called to relaunch the destination on international markets and is still moving forward. This project ranges from an archaeological-cultural offer to new seaside proposals as well as the development of the largest embalming laboratories in the archaeological site of Saqqara and the new beaches of Marsa Matrouh all the way up to the salt lakes of Siwa.

Egypt Tourism

The Director of the Egyptian Tourism Board for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Poland, who also oversees Moscow, Russia, and Rome, Italy, Mr. Mohamed Farag, underlined this at the TTG fair in Rimini, Italy: “To best market our variety of tourist products, we aim to consolidate both the structures and the infrastructures. 

“Our 2022/2028 development plan envisages an average increase of +30% in accommodation facilities by that date, which is equivalent to being able to count on over 210,000 new hotel rooms, and with regards to the Italian traffic basin, we hope to reach 1 million arrivals, thanks also to the solid collaboration with the major Italian tour operators specialized in our destination.

“The strengthening of hotel room supply will particularly concern Cairo, Aswan, and Luxor.”

The increased hotel rooms along with the “addition to the new direct flights from Italy to Marsa Matrouh and El Alamein, will allow us to increase the arrivals of Italian tourists towards these alternative destinations to the Red Sea, a popular destination for the Italian.”

A commitment made by the Egyptian government and the tourist board with the Italian operators to reduce transfer times from Hurghada to Luxor and from Aswan and Abu Simbel as much as possible will optimize travel and stays of foreign tourists who want to be able to visit more iconic places of historical Egypt during their holiday.

European Travelers

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy has not issued any travel warnings or information on the destination, and the UK government has imposed a travel warning only in some areas of the country that are closer to the borders affected by the war between Hamas and Israel.

The challenge of the near future is to cooperate more with Italian travel operators in promotion. Farag added: “We are available to launch targeted co-marketing actions and operational partnerships on Italian territory to promote all our flagship tourist destinations – an operation that also aims to diversify the flow of visits as much as possible, favoring alternative Egyptian destinations and at the same time proposing new stay formulas, for example encouraging 4-day short breaks by counting on adequate air offers.”

Another challenge is the huge new Egyptian capital under construction since 2015 between the Nile and the Suez Canal provisionally called NAC (New Administrative Capital). This is the fulcrum of the Egypt Vision 2030 mega project whose destiny is to host millions of inhabitants in order to control overcrowding of Cairo whose population is over 23 million. Construction of the city began in 2015 and has been repeatedly delayed.

Egypt currently has a wide range of hotels to choose from, including these well-known ones:

1. Marriott Mena House, Cairo: This hotel offers a blend of historic elegance and modern luxury. It’s located near the Pyramids of Giza.
2. Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza: Situated along the Nile River, this hotel provides luxury accommodations and views of the city and the river.
3. The Ritz-Carlton, Cairo: Another top luxury hotel in Cairo, offering multiple dining options, and a spa.
4. Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor: Located in Luxor, this historic hotel is a Victorian-era palace with gardens and luxury rooms with old-world charm.
5. Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa: This hotel is positioned on the east bank of the Nile River with views of the river and the ancient city.
6. Old Cataract Hotel, Aswan: This iconic hotel offers a blend of colonial-era elegance and modern amenities.
7. Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay: Situated in Hurghada, this hotel offers luxury rooms, a private beach, multiple pools, and a variety of dining options.
8. Mövenpick Resort Aswan: Located on an island in the Nile River, this resort offers gardens and views of the Nile and the desert mountains.