Hotels launch offers to attract holidaymakers in summer: tourism experts

Average occupancy rates up to 30% in Cairo, 50% on the Red Sea, 40% in South Sinai, more than 80% in Alexandria and at the North Coast

Hotels and tourist resorts have started launching offers to attract Egyptian families and individuals during the summer holidays.
Tourism experts are expecting that most of the guests will be Egyptians, especially in Alexandria, the North Coast, and Ain Sokhna.
Tarek Nadeem, member of the Chamber of Hotels in the Red Sea, said that occupancy rates increased to 50% at some hotels in Al-Qusayr on the Red Sea, while it had reached 80% in other areas.
He expected that occupancy rates will remain stable during the summer, at an average of 40% in touristic cities at the Red Sea.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Ministry of Tourism launched a promotional tourism campaign for Egyptians in Luxor and Sharm El-Sheikh during the summer.
Nadeem said that tourism campaigns for Egyptians are very important, especially during the current period, in which the influx of foreign tourists has declined.
The coastal areas are the most attractive places for tourists and holidaymakers, especially areas close to Cairo, according to Nadeem.
Samy Soliman, head of Nuweiba-Taba Investors Association, said that many hotels inaugurated tourism campaigns to attract Egyptians during the summer, especially after the end of Ramadan and the school year.
The price for an individual per night ranges from EGP 200 to EGP 400, and is affordable for Egyptians, he added.
Soliman hopes these offers contribute to an increase in the influx of holidaymakers to the region and, consequently, rising occupancy rates.
The Red Sea area has launched the largest number of tourism campaigns in the past two weeks, according to the head of the Marsa Allam Investors Association Adel Rady.
According to Rady, the prices of hotel rooms vary depending on the classification of the hotel, whether it is a 5-star or 3-star facility, but remain affordable for the general public.
Hurghada is one of the most popular touristic areas for Egyptians during the summer, given its wide variety of hotels, according to Rady.
Tourism revenues in Egypt declined to $6.1bn in 2015, compared to $7.3bn in 2014.
The Russian plane crash in October forced hotels and resorts to cut prices to attract domestic tourism and compensate for the low influx of foreign tourists to Egypt.
An official in the Ministry of Tourism predicted that Alexandria, Ain Sokhna, and the North Coast will receive the largest number of tourists during the coming months.
According to the official, the average occupancy rate in Cairo reached 30%, 50% in the Red Sea area, and 40% in South Sinai, while Alexandria and the North Coast exceeded 80%.
The Red Sea area and Sharm El-Sheikh have the largest number of hotels in Egypt, making up 65% of operating hotels in the country.
He noted that Alexandria has the largest occupancy rate in the summer because it is close to Cairo and has a wide variety of hotels.