The occupancy rate in Greater Cairo hotels during Eid Al-Adha increased by over 65%, according to Hussein Shoukry, a board member of the Egyptian Tourism Federation. According to Shoukry, the flow of tourists from Gulf states during the holiday drove hotel occupancy rates upwards, along with the desire of some Egyptian families to spend the holidays outside homes. Greater Cairo has 30,000 hotel rooms out of a total 225,000 rooms in Egypt. According to Shoukry, Alexandria, Ain Sokhna, Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh will be the busiest areas. Shoukry said that the reason behind the improved occupancy rates is the relative proximity to Cairo, and the low accommodation prices in Alexandria. In Hurghada, occupancy rates increased to more than 80%, according to Adel Rady, a member of the Red Sea Tourism Investment Association. Rady expected the rate to grow even further to reach 90% over the Eid holiday. According to Rady, a large proportion of guests are Egyptians. He added that occupancy rates will drop back after Eid holiday, as it will be maintained by foreign tourists only. The Ministry of Tourism is heavily counting on the tourism promotion programme it launched to increase the travel flow to Luxor and Aswan. Spokesperson for the Ministry of Tourism, Rashsa Azazy, said the programme was extended to the end of this year, when it is suitable for families and individuals to visit Luxor and Aswan as temperature becomes mild. On the other hand, Tharwat Al-Agamy, Chairman of the Chamber of Tourism Companies in Luxor and Aswan, did not expect an increase in occupancy rates in the two cities during the holiday, adding that the rate in Luxor is only 5%, and that most families would choose seaside cities, whether in South Sinai, the Red Sea, or Alexandria. Source: Daily News Egypt
