Egypt prepares for three-year tourism push

• Most Arab tourists visiting Egypt go to Cairo, with some going to Sharm El-Sheikh, Alexandria and the northern coast

CAIRO: Egypt has been handed the first draft of a media strategy that will form part of a major tourism push, Khaled El-Anany, Egyptian minister of tourism and antiquities, said on Tuesday.
The strategy is a prelude to the launch of a three-year international promotional campaign for Egyptian tourism, starting at the end of 2021, El-Anany said.
Officials from the Canadian-English Alliance have helped to prepare the strategy, which promotes Egypt as a modern tourist destination that can deliver a “unique tourism experience” throughout the year.
Mohamed Farouk, head of the e-tourism committee at the Chamber of Tourism Companies, said that bookings for travel to Egypt from Arab countries during July and August are higher than in June and May.
Most Arab tourists visiting Egypt go to Cairo, with some going to Sharm El-Sheikh, Alexandria and the northern coast.
Farouk said that Arab tourism has lifted occupancy rates in many Cairo hotels to almost 50 percent — the limit set by the Tourism Ministry as part of efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
With many five-star hotels raising their rates, demand for four-star hotels has grown in Cairo and Giza, he added.
Saudi Arabia sent the highest number of tourists to Egypt in June, followed by Kuwait, the UAE, Jordan and Iraq. He added that many tourism companies and hotels are seeking to increase their capacity rates to 70 percent.