The number of floating hotels in Egypt is expected to increase to about 20 or 22, bringing the total number of floating hotels to about 150 or 155 by the end of the coming winter season. Mohamed Ayoub, Vice Chairperson of the Egyptian Hotel Association (EHA) and Chairperson of the Floating Hotels Committee in the EHA, told Daily News Egypt that Egypt's current capacity of floating hotels that are lisensed by the Ministry of Tourism is 262, of which 132 are already operating, while the rest are between renovations in workshops, complete cessation, or being revoked for non-renewal. He assured that he is optimistic about the reservations for the current winter season, expecting a hike of 30% in reservations compared to last winter season. With regards to the EHA's strategy, he stated that the association is focusing on developing the skills of hospitality employees by organising training sessions covering various areas to improve the level of service in Egypt's hotel industry, in addition to improving hygiene through the new hospitality criteria. Talking about the challenges that face the sector, he stated that they are in need of a new law as the current one has been implemented in 1973 and has yet to be updated. “We need the Tourism Development Authority to decide on the prices of lands like what the Industrial Development Authority does with industrial investors,” he said. He added that deciding on land prices will help investors make a feasibility study for their project to learn if it will bring a profit or not. He explained that the problem now is that investors do not know the price of the land, and subsequently can't risk to invest in a project with unguaranteed profit. He concluded that the sector needs a unified lisensing law that addresses the problems of the sector and attracts investment.
