Egyptian guests flocked to hotels in the Red Sea and South Sinai during the Eid al-Adha holiday and contributed to a significant increase in occupancy rate, according to Wassim Mohie el-Din, Chairman of the Egyptian Hotels Association (EHA) said. Mohie el-Din mentioned that occupancy rates in Alexandria were 100% due to the flow of Egyptians to Alexandria to spend the holidays there. According to Mohie el-Din, the proximity of Alexandria and Ain Sokhna to Cairo leads to high increases in occupancy rates there during holidays. Mohie el-Din went on to say that the the Red Sea and South Sinai witnessed a significant increase in occupancy rates over the past three days, ranging between 95-100%. These two areas account for two-thirds of hotel activity in Egypt out of a total 225,000 rooms according to statistics issued by the Ministry of Tourism. Tourism arrivals for the first half of 2014 have decreased by 25% in comparison to the same period last year. Hotels in Western Cairo in close proximity to the Pyramids have seen occupancy rates exceed 70%, according to Mena House Hotel Front Desk Director Mohamed Talaat. According to Talaat, Egyptians represent approximately 30% of occupants while guests from East Asia and Western Europe form the remainder. Occupancies increase up to 90% in Marsa Alam according to Tourism Investors Association Chairman in the area Tarek Shalaby. According to Shalaby, Egyptians represent 40% of guests in Marsa Alam. He explained that prices did not change during the Eid holiday in attempt to attract guests to the area. Marsa Alam's total hotel capacity is approximately 15,000 rooms, according to statistics issued by the Chamber of Egyptian Hotels. Room rates range between EGP250-500 per night per person, according to Shalaby. Mohie el-Din mentioned that hotel rates in Alexandria range between EGP750-1000 per person per nights during the Eid holiday. However, a Sharm El-Sheikh hotel manager said that room rates increased by 15% during the Eid due to high operating costs for foodstuffs and energy.
