EGYPT: Visit Hurghada But Avoid Arguing With Drivers, Microbus Travel Is Not Good For Women,

Hurghada is a resort town on the Red Sea Coast of Egypt. It is a city in the Red Sea Governorate of Egypt. It is one of the country's main tourist centres located on the Red Sea coast.

Hurghada was once a fairly small and unimposing fishing village, located next to the Red Sea and boasting a number of superb beaches.

Today, the resort of Hurghada is almost unrecognizable from its past life and has grown to become the most visited tourist destination in the whole of Egypt, with more than 100 different hotels, many of which line the shoreline.

Famous for its superb diving opportunities, Hurghada is especially appealing to those with little experience of scuba diving, who come to marvel at the underwater reefs and awesome marine life.

Tourism is now a huge part of Hurghada and each year, many tourists choose to combine their holiday here with visits to other prominent locations along the Nile Valley, including the relatively nearby city of Luxor.

Holiday resorts and hotels provide aquatic sport facilities for windsurfers, kitesurfers, yachtsmen, scuba divers and snorkelers. Hurghada is known for its watersports activities, nightlife and warm weather.

Daily temperature hovers round 30 °C (86 °F) most of the year, during July and August temperatures reach over 40 °C (104 °F). Many Europeans head to Hurghada for their regular Holidays, specially during the Winter season and spend their Christmas and New Year holidays in the city.

Tourism from Russia dropped drastically after the Metrojet Flight 9268 plane crash in November 2015.

Hurghada stretches for about 36 kilometres (22 mi) along the seashore, and it does not reach far into the surrounding desert. The resort is a destination for Egyptian tourists from Cairo, the Delta and Upper Egypt, as well as package holiday tourists from Europe.

Today Hurghada counts 248,000 inhabitants and is divided into:

- El Ahia and El Helal, the northern part.

- El Dahar or Downtown is the old part.

- Sekalla is the city center.

- El Kawsar is the modern part.

- El Memsha or Village road is pedestrian road stretching over 4 km.

Along the El Mamsha you find many of Hurghada's new hotels, restaurants and shops. Most of the newest and biggest hotel resorts locates in the area between Mamsha to Sahl Hasheesh or Village road.

After Sahl Hasheesh you find Makadi Bay with it hotels. Dahar is the oldest part of the town, where the town's traditional bazaar, the post office and the long-distance bus stations, Go Bus and Upper Egypt Bus are situated.

Busiest area is it's city center known as Sakala, which is spread along Sheraton Road. There are some hotels, shops and restauants along Sheraton Road.

The city is served by the Hurghada International Airport with scheduled passenger traffic connecting to Cairo and directly with several cities in Europe. A new terminal was opened in 2015 to accommodate rising traffic.

Hurghada has a subtropical-desert climate, with mild-warm winters and hot to very hot summers. Temperatures in the period December–January–February are warm, but in the evenings temperature may drop from average 20 Celsius degrees to 10.

November, March and April are comfortably warm. May and October are hot and the period from June to September is very hot. The average annual temperature of the sea is 24 °C (75 °F), ranging from 21 °C (70 °F) in February and March to 28 °C (82 °F) in August.

The highest temperature recorded occurred on June 12, 2013 and was 46 °C (115 °F), while the lowest record temperature was recorded on February 2, 1993 and was 0 °C (32 °F).

El Qoseir is one of the Egyptian gateways, and one of the oldest cities on the western coast of the Red Sea. In the past it was known by various names, such as Thagho in the pharonic period, Leucos Limen or white port in Greek in the Hellenistic and Ptolemaic period, and Portus Albus in the Roman period.

In the Islamic period it was given the name El Qoseir, which means a small palace or fortress.

Located between Hurghada and Marsa Alam, El Quseir used to be an important port. Many people traveled from there to the land of Punt to buy ivory, leather and incense. During the Ottoman and the Islamic periods, Egyptians and Muslims from North Africa traveled from El Quseir as pilgrims to Mecca.

It was also the only port importing coffee from Yemen. During the French occupation of Egypt, El Qoseir was the arrival point for Arabs and Muslims from Hegaz coming to fight beside the Mamalic against the French army.

The most important sites in El Qoseir are the fort and the water reservoir. The water reservoir was El Qoseir's only source of drinking water 100 years ago.

El Qoseir El Adima is another important site as well. It was the old Roman port where hundreds of amphora and old pottery artifacts were found.

Even the police station is located at a historical site. There are now many bazaars here, as well as cafes, coffee shops and restaurants offering sea food. There are several 300-year-old buildings here: the Ottoman fort and the old mosques El Farran, El Qenawi and El Senousi.

Makadi Bay is a Tourist Resort located 30 km south of Hurghada dedicated only to hotels, shops and clubs. There's no settlements with locals. Place features good sandy beach. Surprisingly, the local delicacy is camel marinaded in Buckfast.

Sharm El Naga is a village, around 40 km (25 mi) south of Hurghada. Its beach contains a beautiful reef cliff.

Soma Bay is a tourist resort situated 45 km (28 mi) south of Hurghada, with various hotels including Palm Royale Soma Bay, La Residence des Cascades, Robinson Club, Sheraton,Kempinski & Caribbean World Resort Soma Bay.

El Gouna is a privately owned luxury hotel town, about 25 km north of Hurghada. Quiet and clean, the town consists of several islands separated by channels and connected by bridges.

Besides 14 hotels and 3 marinas, there are also 2200 private villas and apartments, while many more are under construction. It is promoted by some as Egypt's Venice. It is built on 10 km of beachfront and has unique and diverse architecture.

El Gouna provides diving and watersports centers, horse stables, go-karting, shopping arcades, bazaars, a wide selection of restaurants and bars, night clubs, an internet cafe, four bank branches, many automated teller machines (ATMs), two pharmacies, the El Gouna international school, El Gouna national school, a nursery, a private hospital.

There are three marinas, a library, an airport, one of several casinos on the Red Sea coast, a private radio station, a post office, a museum, real estate offices and an 18-hole golf course designed by Gene Bates with a unique aqua driving range.

El Mahmya is a tourist beachfront camp on the protected Giftun island, 45 minutes by boat from Hurghada.

Although a town in its own right, Hurgada’s current major industry is foreign and domestic tourism, owing to its dramatic landscape, year-round dry and temperate climate and long stretches of natural beaches.

Its waters are clear and calm for most of the year and have become popular for various water-sports, particularly recreational scuba diving and snorkelling.

Dive sites around Abu Ramada Island, Fanadir, Giftun Kebir, and Giftun Soraya are popular. Tourists also visit shipwrecks such as the El Mina or the Rosalie Moller.

The beach at Hurghada is not secluded, out to Sigala the beach is then followed by coastal holiday villages and then desert.

In a 2016 attack and again in a 2017 attack foreign tourists at Hurghada's beach resorts were targeted by terrorists attacks.

Most major airlines in Europe and the Middle East can fly you straight to Hurghada International Airport without having to stop in Cairo. Prices depend on the time of the booking and the airline. As you enter the airport building, you will see a big sign saying Visa 25USD.

You will be ushered towards a stand where you must buy the visa for 25 Euro (over 30USD). You can easily avoid this by going to the National Bank Of Egypt stand in the same hall and presenting your passport, along with exactly 25 US dollars, to the attendant.

He will give you the visa and you will be done in half the time, for half the price.

If you are in Cairo, you can also fly to Hurghada on Egypt Air Express a subsidiary of Egypt Air or Nile Air, which is now servicing domestic locations in Egypt. Prices vary: 400-900 Egyptian pounds depending on the season and how early you book your tickets.

From Sharm el-Sheikh you can fly with Egypt Air for about 450-550 LE, the trip takes about 1 hour.

From Cairo, trip takes about 7 hours, depending on the operator. Good operators are Super Jet and Go Bus; avoid MCV Co. Prices range from 50 to 150LE for a one way ticket and buses will leave about every hour.

From Alexandria, 2 daily buses. One is operated by Upper Egypt and leaves at 18:30, arriving in Hurghada around 4:30 the next morning. This is not ideal as you will find the city asleep and it is very hard to get a taxi this early.

The second bus, operated by Super Jet, will leave around 20:30 and arrive around 6:30 in the morning. Prices are around 90-100LE for a one way trip.

From Luxor, about 4-5h by Super Jet bus or longer by Upper Egypt. Super Jet runs twice daily and Upper Egypt has more frequent buses.

From Aswan, 2 daily buses, both operated by Upper Egypt. The first one leaves at 15:30, the second leaves at 17:30. The trip takes at least 8 hours, meaning you will arrive in Hurghada after midnight. Prices are around 50-55LE.

There is no normal public transport in Hurghada. White mini vans the Toyota Hiace locally called micro bus have established routes. Locals are the main users, but it is quite easy to use them.

It costs about 1-2 Egyptian pounds, and they stop wherever needed and go wherever you want except 1-2 neighbourhoods. Ask the driver for destination before getting in.

Microbus travel is not recommended for the young women.

Taxi drivers in Hurghada have astonishing talent for spotting tourists from far, far away; look at the approaching car and it will stop for you at a cost.

Before stepping in, find out if driver speaks any English, and show the wanted destination on the map. There are only few streets with names, so the destination is specified with nearby places, a hotel for example.

Discuss and agree the total price but not per person with the driver: remember the price varies from 10 to 25 Egyptian pounds. Do not travel with the meter on, drivers can control it. After the driver agrees on a price, jump in. Get out in front of the hotel.

The method to avoiding confrontation with the drivers is to have correct amount of money you agreed at first. Pass the money on at the destination, get out and walk away; avoid arguing with drivers.

Most taxi drivers are honest people trying to make a living by getting tourists and locals from one place to another. Very few are thieves, targeting tourists to steal money.

If you have only a 50LE or 100LE note, mention this to the driver before you get in. Ask him if he has change, then ask him again. He might have to stop somewhere at a shop to have the note changed. As you hand him the note, say for example; I give you 100 pound, you give me 80 pound.

This will prevent the taxi driver from quickly changing the note and accusing you of giving him only 10LE. If this should happen, weigh your chances.

You are unlikely to get your money back, and when surrounded by many taxi drivers, you might get yourself into more trouble. Cut your losses and take another taxi.

When you want to drive by night, you should take care, mostly as woman. You should take better an serios taxi service. There are a few very well, where the driver speak also english. And there is also a german taxi company in hurghada, MyDriver chauffeur service.

Uber and Careem both have presences in Hurghada. They are reasonably priced and convenient, sparing you the incessant haggling required for taxi rides.

However, some locations e.g. the bus station within Hurghada have been blocked on Uber. You will see a message that Uber does not operate in this location. Simply walk about 2-3 blocks/5 minutes away from the building avoiding the taxi touts along the way , and you will be able to use Uber again.

Hurghada has a variety of activities for those who enjoy the sea and the beach. Activities include scuba-diving, snorkeling, windsurfing, parasailing, and jetskis. You can also ride a glass boat which is a boat with a glass bottom where you can see the amazing coral reefs and underwater scenery.

The main reason to visit Hurghada is the Red Sea, which is excellent for diving or snorkeling. See incredible coral reefs and hundreds of varieties of tropical fish just 10 m from the beach.

Again, either your hotel will have dive escorts on site, or it can arrange a scuba diving expedition with guides. Scuba diving (2 dives) cost between 50-65 USD. The divers are locals and are excellent in handling beginners.

In late March, the water may be a bit cold, so a wetsuit might be necessary. It might also be windy in late March and just as likely may not be. You may want to check if your resort hotel provides windscreens on the beach.

For a desert adventure, you can also ride motorbikes or beach buggies into the desert.

Hurghada is an ideal point for trips by bus to Cairo and Luxor. The road between Hurghada and Luxor take around 3.5 hours. the road between Hurghada And Cairo take around 6 hours.

Hurghada offers many activities not to be found anywhere else on Earth: quad-biking hundreds of miles into the Sahara desert for tea with a Bedoin tribe, then camel-riding across Biblical plains to see remote and ancient wonders.

Diving and snorkeling around a vibrant and colourful coral reef; boat trips to the unpopulated Big and Little Gifton islands; swimming in the warm sea; good shopping; excellent and varied cuisine from across the world, etc.

If you were to choose to stay in your hotel complex for the duration of your break, you would miss out on much more than you bargained for.

Those new to Egypt will find karkaday - a drink made from an infusion of hibiscus, served hot or cold and reputed to have many health benefits and chi a local version of tea, usually served in a glass offered everywhere.

Both are delicious and will usually come replete with a smoke on a sheesha pipe, known in the West as a hookah. Sheeshas are used for smoking molasses tobacco in various flavours, with the smoke passing through water before inhalation through a long tube attached to the bowl.

Although they may resemble a device used to smoke illicit substances in the west like bang, sheesha is completely legal.

Cruise across the Red Sea to the uninhabited island of Giftun surrounded by magical coral gardens. Enjoy a lazy day on the white sand or swim amongst the coral reefs. This great day trip is hard to skip when you are in Hurghada.

In the evening, you can go for a walk in the promenade area for some traditional cafes, shopping, or dining. There is a bowling and family entertainment centre close by as well as a few malls and restaurants.

Night life usually begins quite late, and you can find some clubs in close proximity to the promenade.

Hurghada Grand Aquarium, Village Road, After Magawish Hotel. Aquarium and Mini Zoo.

Nautilus Pearl, Hurghada Marina. 8 am - 10 pm. Luxury Catamaran with underwater viewing stations, restaurant, bar with wifi, Sun Deck, Jacuzzi, Cocktail deck, snorkeling. Sailing Daily.

Tornado Marine Fleet, Hurghada Marina. 24 hrs. Luxury liveaboard fleet offering cruises for divers and non divers on board an award winning fleet. Catering for groups and individuals. Multilingual guides.

You can buy many souvenirs from the shops that are spread inside the main town at Sekalla high street and along the beach areas. Also the old down town el Dahar has a wide selection of bazaars with cheaper prices than Sekalla.

First, remember to haggle, haggle and haggle everywhere except in restaurants and drugstores. You should be able to get 75% off from the price that seller asks at first. This might vary with different products, so remember to check a few shops for appropriate prices.

There are souvenir shops that have fixed prices, mostly in the New Hurghada area. There is no reason to be happy with the fixed price, since some times it's more expensive than in other shops. At famous stores like 'Cleopatra' you can find souvenirs, shirts, woodwork, and silver.

For brand-names and higher-quality products, head down to New Marina and Sheraton Road where you can find Adidas, Timberland, Dockers and Levi's as well as a traditional bazaar or Souq in Arabic.

Often the clothes are counterfeit knockoffs; though you will notice that any shop may post famous trademarks on its banner and yet sell fake clothes.

In perfumes, most are oil-based and rarely can you find natural or organic perfumes. Be wary when the sellers attempt to entice you into the shop, for they will often invite you to drink something like tea.

Or, if they feel you are rich, they will offer Cola for while they are demonstrating perfumes. One should politely refuse the refreshments because, if you drink, you have to buy from them.

Hurghada offers a variety of cuisine, including fast food, western restaurants, oriental food, and many others.

You can find KFC, McDonald's, and the local fast food chain GAD.

Where Sherry Street branches from Sheraton Street, you can get chicken meal in Brost eldik for 14LE, popular among backpackers and young people.

Right across from Princess Palace Hotel, near Hard Rock Cafe, you will find the bar/restaurant Triple X. Though the name may sound a little strange, the atmosphere in this place is very friendly. It is a family-run place and often will you find more staff than clients.

But delicious and cheap food, cold beers served in clean, cold glasses and helpful, multilingual staff make this place the perfect hangout for many loyal customers. 50cl of Stella costs 10LE; chicken sandwich with fries costs 25LE.

Also, they have free WiFi for their customers,just ask for the password, it changes 2 or 3 times every day.

Alcoholic drinks can usually be found in bars or hotels. Hurghada has a very western atmosphere so it is much easier to drink than in other areas of Egypt.

Nonalcoholic drinks include conventional drinks like canned drinks, sodas, or juice, as well famous Egyptian drinks such as sahlab, karkadeh, mirinda, yansoon, gansabeel, irfa, and many others.

Over the years, Hurghada has developed a bubbling reputation for its cosmopolitan nightlife scene, alongside the many bars within the new Hurghada Marina, Papas Bar has two venues one inside the marina, the other next-door to the Shedwan Hotel in downtown Dahr.

The world-renown Hed Kandi Beach Bar; still the world's first and only Kandi beach bar.

There are many bars, nightclubs and discos in Hurghada. Almost every hotel comes equip with its own disco, and then you can find the only beachside Ministry of Sound venue, coupled with the world's first Hed Kandi Beach Bar.

Other nightlife leaders in the city include Hard Rock Cafe, Little Budha, Calypso Disco, the new R&B Club, and throughout the summer months you can find the popular Voodoo parties every Wednesday within the Grand Hotel Resorts.

Global leaders in dance music, Ministry of Sound Beach Club, operate a varied daily schedule ranging from disco grooves, through to R&B/hiphop and house/techno.

There are also many other discos and late-night bars dotted around the city, generally speaking ask your guest relations or tour guide to recommend you a venue suited best to you.

There's famous Czech pub PRAHA at the end of Sheraton St.

A general rule when taking a taxi at a night club is to agree on a price before you even touch the car and give the correct amount. Taxi drivers will try to steal money from you and you will not be able to retrieve it once it is in their hands.

Dana Beach Resort, Sahl Hasheesh Road, Hurghada, Egypt. This 5-star Hurghada resort offers private beachfront resort on the Red Sea. Amenities include a lagoon-style outdoor pool, dive center and piano bar. All rooms feature an outdoor balcony.

Beach Albatros Resort, Safaga Road, P.O. Box 110, Hurghada, Egypt. This property is a 5-minute walk from the beach. Located directly on the beach, this 4-star resort features an Aqua Park with 3 outdoor swimming pools and spacious rooms with a balcony. It includes a spa and a diving center.

Lillyland Beach Club Resort, KM 17 200 Hurghada - Safaga Rd, Red Sea Governorate, Hurghada, Egypt. This property is a 10-minute walk from the beach. Lillyland Beach Club Resort is on the coast of the Red Sea and 12 miles south of Hurghada International Airport. It features a spa, an outdoor pool, and a private beach area.

Giftun Azur Resort, Village Road, Hurghada, Egypt. This property is a 4-minute walk from the beach. Nestled among lush gardens with palm trees, Giftun Azur Resort features 7 restaurants and 7 bars. It has outdoor pools, and spacious rooms with sea, pool or garden views.

Amwaj Blue Beach Resort & Spa, Abu Soma Bay, Hurghada, Egypt. Amwaj Blue Beach Resort & Spa offers luxury accommodations with Red Sea views and a private beach. There are 2 pools set within gardens, as well as a spa and fitness center.

AMC Royal Hotel, El Ahyaa Area, Hurghada, Egypt. Right on the beach, AMC Royal Hotel is in Alahyaa District in Hurgahda. It features a private beach and a vast range of water activities including scuba diving and snorkeling.

Imperial Shams Abu Soma, Km 9 Safaga Road, Soma Bay, Hurghada, Egypt. This property is 2 minutes walk from the beach. In the beautiful Soma Bay, this 5-star resort features a private, sandy beach and a large, outdoor pool. A balcony and satellite TV are offered in all rooms.

Albatros Aqua Park Resort, Safaga Road, Hurghada, Egypt. This property is a 5-minute walk from the beach. This hotel is situated in Hurghada and is a 10-minute drive from Hurghada International Airport.

It features a large pool with waterslides, a heated swimming pool and a hot tub. Guests can enjoy free access to Aqua Park as well free access for children Aqua Park at Sea World Resort.

Bel Air Azur Resort for adults Only, El Cornich Road, Sekala, Hurghada, Egypt. This property is 2 minutes walk from the beach. This all-inclusive beach hotel is located along the Red Sea, just 1.9 miles from the centre of Hurghada. It features 800 m² of freshwater pools, and rooms with balcony and free minibar.

Grand Seas Resort HostMark, KM 14 - Hurghada - Safaga Road, Hurghada, Egypt. This property is 2 minutes walk from the beach. Featuring outdoor pool and a sit-down restaurant, the Grand Seas Resort HostMark is in Hurghada. Wi-Fi access is available for a fee.

Eiffel Hotel Hurghada, Sheraton Street, Beside Marina Al Yokhoot, Hurghada, Egypt. This property is 1 minute walk from the beach. Featuring a private beach, Eiffel Hotel offers air-conditioned rooms with a balcony overlooking the Red Sea.

Its outdoor pool is surrounded by sun-lounge chairs and has a pool bar. Free Wi-Fi is available in public areas.

Eagles Resort, Airport way in the Magawish area. New Resort right on Red Sea coast just 10 minutes away from Hurghada Airport. Hotel consist from just 72 suits with separate living rooms and will give you pleasant relaxing atmosphere during vocation. from 23$.

A little internet searching will throw up some private self catering accommodation that is usually owned by Europeans as a holiday home, which gives much more independence than staying in a resort hotel and is potentially much cheaper.

Hurghada Acorn is a reputable provider of self catering accommodation in Hurghada and the surrounding areas, to suit all budgets, and has been established since 2008.

They are a husband and wife team, and are regularly contacted by travelers for help, even if they are not their own guests, they try to make themselves available for assistance.

Budget hotels catering to Egyptian travellers with rooms at 50LE can be found near the Upper Egypt bus station.

Hurghada Center is a big complex, offering over 400 living spaces of different sizes. Ask the taxi for Center Libya, the complex is still property of the Libyan government and known by everyone in Hurghada by this name and ask one of the security guards to take you to the reception.

A 2 person studio will be 125LE per night. They also have special rates for long term rent. Taxi ride from the airport costs 30LE, to McDonald's on Sheraton Road 10LE and to Hard Rock Cafe 15 or 20LE.

Sonesta Pharoah Beach Resort, Safaga Road, Hurghada Egypt.

Sunrise Holidays Resort, Coronation Road, Hurghada Egypt.

Sunrise Chrystal Bay Resort, Hurghada Egypt.

Sea Star Blue Rivage, Hurghada Egypt.

Giftun Beach, Hurghada Egypt.

The Oberoi in Hurghada is 5-star deluxe hotel.

Steigenberger Makadi Hotel is nestled on the picturesque shores of Hurghada and in the heart of the magnificent Makadi Golf Course and the entire Madinat Makadi resort.

Madinat Makadi is 617 acres of new and thriving holiday Egypt destination with an impressive variety of five-star hotels, family resorts and deluxe accommodation that provides something for everyone.

The wonders of antiquity, the magnificent Red Sea with its stunning beaches, majestic desert and mountains and Souk Makadi shopping complex.

Jaz Bluemarine is situated in Hurghada, with its own private beach, outstanding natural beauty and mesmerizing marine life. The long stretching coastline, Mediterranean climate and coral reef islands provide a perfect backdrop to the perfect five-star Egypt escape.

Hurghada Clinic. Medical clinic with doctors who can speak English and Polish. International travel insurances are accepted.

El Gouna Hospital. An integrated professional medical service provider across the Red Sea since 1998. Different & professional management for multiple-trauma patients through its highly-qualified medical crew in different departments including neurosurgery, general & thoracic surgery, orthopedic & vascular surgery.

Endoscopic surgeries: gynecology, orthopedic, general surgery, urosurgery, stone removal and destruction. There are stuff who speak English, French Russian and German. Often international insurances are accepted.

Senzo Mall is a new shopping mall, about a 10 minute taxi ride from town, on the airport road. It has a large Spinneys Hypermarket and many other shops, fast-food outlets and a 5-screen cinema as well as a moderate-sized kids' play area.

You can take a bus to El Gouna which departs every 15 minutes from El Dahar Square opposite the Egypt Telecom building. A 45-minute ride costs 5LE for one way if you told him that you are living in el gouna if you are a tourist they will charge you 10LE

Buses leave for many destinations from the Old Town bus station. Eighty percent of them run on schedule; the others may face many hours' delays.
Be there at least one hour before the scheduled departure. Having a local fix your ticket might be a good way to avoid a lot of frustration, whilst saving money.

Buses leave for Quseer and Marsa Alam 3 times a day, Luxor 3 times, Cairo each 1 hour, there's no direct buses to Sharm El Sheikh you must go to Cairo or Suez that about the GOV buses.

But for most safety, reasonable price and comfortable buses go to Zahran bus station you can find more than 4 private companies you can use SuperJet it cost 80LE to Cairo and 100LE to Alexandria 45Le to Luxor.

To go Aswan you can use StarJet.

There are long-distance taxis leaving from the station in El Hegaz Street. Just contact the people standing at the entrance who ask for your destination. The taxis are used a lot by the locals and are quite cheap. One can reach most bigger cities in Egypt from this station.

To get to the station, take the bus 4 or 7 to El Hegaz Bus Station.

Be aware that shared taxi are not comfortable and if you are with a woman don't go there as you may be ripped off there by the drivers.

If you want to travel more comfortable, there are flights offered by Egyptair connecting Hurghada with Cairo and other cities.


Tourism Observer

EGYPT: Roadside Bomb Kills 4 In Giza, 3 Vietnamese Tourists And An Egyptian Tour Guide

Four people were killed and 11 other people were injured on Friday when a bus was hit by a roadside bomb in Giza, Egypt, the Interior Ministry said.

It was reported that three Vietnamese tourists were killed and one was an Egyptian tourist guide.

Ten of the wounded were Vietnamese tourists and one was an Egyptian, a ministry statement said.

The bus was hit by an explosion from an improvised device hidden near a wall on Marioutiya street at around 6:15 pm local time, it said.

The roadside explosion hit a tourist bus near the Giza pyramids.

The explosion occurred on Al Maryotiya Road, a long road off Al Haram Road, one of the most famous streets in Greater Cairo.

An Egyptian security source said the bus had 14 people on board and an IED exploded as it approached. The device was hidden near a wall on Marioutiya Street off Al Haram Road, one of the most famous streets in Greater Cairo.

Police forces and ambulances attended the scene, and the injured individuals were transferred to nearby hospitals.

Ahmed Samy, a tuk-tuk driver, said he saw the bus after the blast and and locals and drivers were helping the injured to get out. One of the passengers was dead and was covered in blood, he said.

No militant group has yet claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack. The most active group has been Daesh, which has been operating mainly in North Sinai. An Isis-linked group claimed responsibility for the explosion on the Russian plane.

Daesh also claimed responsibility for a January 2016 attack in Hurghada where two militants entered a hotel and stabbed three tourists. The Swede and two Austrians survived.

In February 2014, the militant group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, which later pledged allegiance to Dsaesh claimed a bomb attack that ripped through a tourist bus on the Egyptian side of the Taba border crossing with Israel, killing four and injuring some 30 passengers.

Prior to the Russian plane explosion, the deadliest attack to target tourists took place in Luxor in 1997 when more than 60 people, the vast majority foreign tourists, were murdered by militants armed with guns and knives.

The prime minister, Mostafa Madbouly, visited the injured at Al-Haram hospital. He said that the bus had not followed the path it was supposed to take where it would have been secured by the police.

Tourism has been one of the main contributors to Egypt’s economy, contributing around 375bn Egyptian pounds to the economy (£16bn), or 11% of GDP, in 2017, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.


Tourism Observer

EGYPT: Tourism Shows Recovery, More Than 60% Tourists From UK Or Russia

Tourists are slowly returning to Egypt, easing pressure on a key sector battered by years of turmoil and the 2015 bombing of a plane carrying Russian holidaymakers.

There is an increase in the number of tourists. The situation was much better in January than in previous years, tourism ministry spokesperson Omaima al-Husseini said.

Visitors from China, Japan and Ukraine account for a large part of the growth.

China's top public travel agency, China International Travel Service, reported a 58 percent increase in tourists flying to Egypt compared with 2015.

There are more bookings between October 2016 and January 2017 than last year, said Egyptian Federation of Tourism chief Karim Mohsen.

There is an improvement, especially in cultural tourism in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan," key historical sites, he said.

The uptick is a hopeful sign for a country also reeling from the shock of an economic reform programme that has triggered massive inflation.

Once a key source of foreign currency, the tourism sector crashed in 2011 after a popular uprising overthrew president Hosni Mubarak, ushering in years of sporadic unrest.

Recoveries in the sector since then have been set back by new crises.

In June 2015, a massacre of tourists at a Luxor temple was narrowly averted when assailants armed with assault rifles and explosives bungled the attack and were intercepted by police.

Then, in September that year, Egyptian forces mistakenly targeted a group of Mexican tourists visiting desert sites with repeated air strikes, killing 12 people.

The next month, Islamic State militants, who are waging an insurgency in the eastern Sinai Peninsula, struck again.

They bombed a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers home from the popular Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

All 224 people on board were killed. In the aftermath, Russia suspended flights to Egypt and Britain cut air links with Sharm el-Sheikh.

Visitor numbers plunged from 9.3 million in 2015 to 5.3 million the following year, Husseini said.

But industry officials have cautiously welcomed what they say is a noticeable improvement since October.

In December 2016, 551,600 tourists visited Egypt, compared with 440,000 the year before, according to the government's statistics agency.

Activity has picked up a bit in the winter of 2016-2017, said Tamer al-Shaer, vice president of the Blue Sky travel agency.

He said that included a 30 percent increase in Ukrainian tourists and a 60 percent increase in visitors from China, with daily flights to Aswan, a southern city rich in ancient sites.

Japan's HIS travel agency said the number of tourists heading to Egypt had multiplied by four to five times last year.

Since charter flights from Japan to Egypt resumed in April 2016, they have been on average 80 percent full, said a spokesperson for the Japan Association of Travel agents.

Egypt hosted a record 14.7 million foreign tourists in 2010, a year before Mubarak's overthrow and the ensuing economic nosedive.

Restoring even two thirds of that number is a key government goal, but it hinges on Russia and Britain resuming flights, Husseini said.

There are ongoing negotiations we hope the issue will be resolved as soon as possible, she said.

More than 60 percent of tourists arriving in Sharm el-Sheikh by plane used to come from Britain or Russia.

So long as the Russians do not come back, there will be paralysis, the tourism federation's Mohsen said.

Russians and Britons are the backbone of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Other European countries such as Germany and France have registered a slight increase in reservations to Egypt.

In early February, four other European countries - Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden - eased travel warnings against travel to south Sinai, where Sharm el-Sheikh and other resorts are situated.

EGYPT: Tourists Are Scarce But Egypt Struggles To Maintain Heritage

Egypt is struggling to preserve its troubled archaeological heritage and Tourism, Inspite of a shaky economy following years of unrest and a huge drop in tourists,

From Alexandria on the Mediterranean to the Great Pyramid of Giza,the last of the Seven Wonders of the World and Aswan to the south, the North African country is home to impressive ancient monuments.

For years, the sites were able to rely on a steady stream of ticket sales to finance their upkeep.

But since Egypt's 2011 revolution, the number of tourists visiting the country has dwindled, leaving authorities scrambling to make up for lost revenues.

Since January 2011, our revenues have fallen sharply, which had a strong effect on the state of Egyptian monuments, Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Enany says.

From more than 15 million in 2010, the number of tourists visiting Egypt dropped to 6.3 million in 2015.

Years of political tumult after the 2011 uprising that unseated strongman Hosni Mubarak and a jihadist insurgency following the army's 2013 overthrow of his Islamist successor Mohamed Morsi have discouraged many from visiting.

Revenue from entrance tickets to historical sites dropped to about $38 million in 2015, from about $220 million in 2010.

It's catastrophic, said Fayza Haikal, an Egyptologist and professor at the American University of Cairo.

Zahi Hawass, an archeologist and former antiquities minister, said the country's heritage has suffered as a result.

With the lack of funding, you cannot restore anything. Look at the Cairo museum. It's dark, he said, referring to the famed Egyptian Museum in the capital's Tahrir Square.

And you cannot ask the government to support you because the economy is not that good. And antiquities are deteriorating everywhere, he said.

Administering the country's antiquities takes about 38,000 employees, including on-site workers, technicians, Egyptologists and inspectors, the ministry says.

The government has relied on foreign handouts since Morsi's overthrow, and finally decided to float the pound last year as part of an economic reform program connected to a loan from the International Monetary Fund.

An important part of an economic revival would include the return of tourism, a main hard currency earner for Egypt.

Until then, Enany is trying to limit the damage.

I try to do extra activities to increase revenue, he said.

For example, the Egyptian Museum, home to the golden mask of Tutankhamun and mummies of pharaohs, now stays open into the night, he said.

Annual passes are also available to encourage Egyptians to visit the sites.

Patrons and archaeological missions still contribute to the preservation of Egypt's ancient heritage, but the funds cannot cover everything.

Priority is given to restoration, said Haikal. But there are excavations that have been stopped due to lack of funding.

The excavations have waited for 5,000 years and can wait, she said, but important restoration work has also been delayed.

At the very least we identify what needs restoration, and we do the minimum to keep them in a proper state.

Enany is also pushing for granting public access to more sites, as was done with the recently opened tombs of Nefertari and Seti I in Luxor.

The Malawi museum in the southern province of Minya has also been reopened, after a mob looted it during the bloody unrest following Morsi's overthrow.

The Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza pyramids should also be opened, at least partially, in 2018.

On some projects, the ministry can get special funds, such as for recent work done on the synagogue of Alexandria and the Abu Mena church, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Hawass, who advises Enany, says the minister needs more support and also for authorities to think beyond Egypt by undertaking exhibitions abroad.

"Why leave Tutankhamun in the Cairo museum, in a dark area. No one sees it," he said. "Tutankhamun can bring money!"

EGYPT: Advice On Holidays To Sharm El Sheikh, Cairo And Luxor

EGYPT used to be one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world but its tourism industry has been rocked by continued warnings over terror.

The Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel by air to or from Sharm el Sheikh and Thomas Cook has cancelled holiday bookings there for the winter of 2017/2018 and Summer 2018.

What to do if you’re thinking about visiting Egypt.

In recent years the country has been rife with political turmoil, violent protests and terrorism attacks.

The number of tourists visiting has decreased dramatically following the revolution, attacks on foreign journalists and government advice not to go there.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advice is against all but essential travel by air to or from Sharm el Sheikh after a flight from Sharm el Sheikh to St Petersburg crashed in North Sinai.

There is no FCO advice against travel to Cairo, Alexandria, the tourist areas along the Nile river (including Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings) and the Red Sea resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada.

Israel’s counter-terror agency had suggested its nationals in the region leave and advised them against travelling there over summer due to fears of an imminent ISIS attack.

The FCO say “terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Egypt”.

Their website states: “You should be vigilant at all times, avoid crowded places and follow the advice of the Egyptian authorities and your travel company, if you have one.”

Nine tourists were killed in September 2015 in the Western Desert when they were mistakenly attacked and killed by the Egyptian military who thought they were terrorists.

A Croatian man was kidnapped and killed by ISIS in July 2015 in the western desert near Cairo.

And in June 2015, terrorists tried to attack Karnak Temple in Luxor – the first attack in nearly 20 years – but were stopped by police.

If you are in Egypt, the website urges to keep updated on news revolving the country and take advice from authorities, hotels and tour operators.

They advise to stay away from demonstrations, protests and large gatherings and to leave immediately.

According to the FCO there is a “high threat from terrorism in Egypt”.

The website states: “The main threat is from extremists linked to Daesh-Sinai. You should be vigilant at all times, avoid crowded places and follow the advice of the Egyptian authorities and your travel company, if you have one.”

The FCO advise against all travel to the Governorate of North Sinai where the Egyptian armed forces are conducting operations against extremist groups and there are frequent reports of attacks.

The FCO advise against all but essential travel to the Governorate of South Sinai, with the exception of the area within the Sharm el Sheikh perimeter barrier, which includes the airport and the areas of Sharm el Maya, Hadaba, Naama Bay, Sharks Bay and Nabq. However, the FCO advise against all but essential travel by air to or from Sharm el Sheikh.

The FCO also advise against all but essential travel to the area west of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta regions, excluding the coastal areas between the Nile Delta and Marsa Matruh.

There’s a risk that tourists at high profile sites like the Giza Pyramids may be confronted aggressively for money or business, even while travelling by car, or taxi. Visitors using a pre-booked guide, or taking an organised tour to visit the Giza Pyramids are likely to face fewer difficulties.

There have been a number of attacks in Cairo mainly targeting government and security targets.

Visitors are told to exercise extreme caution in all border areas.

GOV.UK say it’s “generally low”, but over the years expatriates have been targeted and crimes committed including armed robberies, muggings, sexual assaults, rapes, break-ins and car-jackings at gun and knife-point.

They are more likely to take place in areas popular with expatriates, including during the daytime and they target four-wheel drive cars especially, while muggings have also happened in taxis.

In 2016, the British Embassy responded to 3 cases of rape and sexual assault against British nationals in Egypt.

It’s advised not to be the last person to travel on a microbus and to take great care when travelling alone. Always use hotel safes and watch out for bag snatchers and pickpockets.

If something happens, then report it to the Egyptian police immediately or you won’t be able to seek a prosecution.

Road accidents are rife due to poor road conditions and dangerous driving.

Road accidents killed almost 16,000 people in Egypt in 2011 and it’s advised to avoid independent road travel outside main cities and resorts at night.

Buses aren’t too much safer either and there have been a number of fatal bus crashes in recent years involving tourists.

The FCO also say there is a threat of kidnapping, particularly in remote desert areas.

Again, there are many fatalities in recent years.

Suspect devices have been on trains and at train stations and you should remain on guard, especially on the Cairo-Alexandria line.

EGYPT: 2-Year Tourism Recovery Plan Points To Faith And Luxury Tours

Egypt plans to promote religious, medical and luxury trips, and develop new markets in India and Eastern Europe, as it pushes to revive its vital tourism industry to pre-2011 revolution levels within two years.

In addition to more diverse tourism offerings, the home of the pyramids will ease travel for residents of the Gulf Arab nations through an e-visa program as part of a broader plan to boost visitors and encourage longer stays and more spending, Tourism Minister Mohamed Rashed said in an interview in Dubai.

The effort marks the latest attempt by Egyptian authorities to kick-start a sector that had been a primary source of foreign currency, and the economy economy, which has struggled since the 2011 uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak. The years of unrest that followed his toppling are made more dire by a series of terrorist attacks that only serve to further burden the government as it tries to attract foreign investors while appeasing a population of over 92 million straining under the weight of the reform measures.

“The final target is to get to the 2010 numbers” Rashed said, referring to the more than 14 million visitors the country hosted in 2010, its peak year for tourism arrivals. “We should be able to get as close as possible to the target in the next 18 to 24 months.”

Already, Egypt has seen a slight reversal of the downward trend it’s endured for years. But to cement the gains and stage a sustained recovery, officials plan on further promoting programs far removed from the traditional surf and sun offerings found along the Red Sea resorts, or the antiquities for which Egypt is famed.

Those options include “Holy Family” tours to eight destinations, Rashed said. To get a slice of the medical tourism industry, the country would be capitalizing on the lower cost of some cosmetic procedures in Egypt, relative to the expense in Europe and the U.S. for the same surgeries.

The road to recovery has been difficult. The 2015 downing of a Russian passenger jet shortly after its takeoff from the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh killed all 224 on board and promoted a ban on flights to Egypt from Russia that has yet to be lifted.

Palm Sunday church bombings earlier this month left at least 45 dead and dozens wounded in two cities, while another attack on a police checkpoint near the storied St. Catherine’s Monastery in south Sinai brought closer to the main tourism hubs the risks posed by militants. The three attacks were all claimed by the Islamic State’s local affiliate.

Egypt is working on revamping its image to change perceptions by potential visitors that it is an unsafe destination. Rashed stressed that terror is a global threat, versus one targeting one particular country.

“What happened in Egypt is no different than what’s happening anywhere in the world,” Rashed said. “When you talk about an incident right in front of Westminster in London or an incident in Champs-Elysees or other incidents in last three to four years, it proves that Egypt has taken the right measures to stop these people from advancing.”

The North African country is already seeing a “very optimistic” first quarter and is “well-positioned” to see the return of tourists by diversifying source markets and developing Cairo, Luxor and Aswan as luxury destinations. Germany is the top growing market, followed by the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia, he said. There’s also been growth in tourists from China, Japan, United States and the Ukraine.

EGYPT: Israel Advises Tourists To Check Out Of Sharm el Sheikh Over Terror Threats

Egypt is likely to be subject to an ISIS terror attack in the near future according to Israel, which has warned tourists in the Red Sea resorts to leave immediately.

What does this mean for tourists?

Israel has warned that it believes an ISIS terror attack is imminent in Egypt’s Red Sea resorts, and is advising citizens to leave the area immediately.

Israelis have also been warned to cancel all future travel plans to the area.

“We don't want to cry wolf, wolf,” Eitan Ben-David, the head of Israel's counter-terror bureau, said. “We really believe that the threat is serious.”

The Red Sea resorts include tourist destinations such as Sharm el Sheikh, Luxor and Hurghada.

These are popular resorts with British holidaymakers for winter sun, and while demand has dropped off since prominent terrorist attacks in 2015 and last year, thousands still visit every year.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has not updated its advice in response to Israel’s claims that a terror threat is imminent.

Although it advises against all travel to the Governorate of North Sinai and all but essential travel to the Governorate of South Sinai, it specifically excludes the Red Sea Resorts.

The FCO says: “The tourist areas along the Nile river including Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings and the Red Sea resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada aren’t included in the areas to which the FCO advise against all but essential travel.”

Rasha Azaizi, director of the Egyptian State Tourist Office in the UK, said: "Egypt is and has always been open for business and 2017 will be a year of major growth and recovery. Tour operators, like Thomas Cook, are reporting a pump up in sales.

"As in every country in the world, the security measures in Egypt are very strict. As the terrible events in London last week have shown, terrorism is a global phenomenon and we all must be vigilant."

British visitors are still warned not to fly into Sharm el Sheikh after a plane from Sharm to St Petersburg, Russia, crashed in 2015.

Russian authorities stated that the crash was caused by an explosive device on board the plane.

The FCO says: “As a precautionary measure, we are advising against all but essential travel by air to or from Sharm el Sheikh.”

When asked about whether the threat level in Egypt had increased, an FCO spokesperson said: “FCO Travel Advice is kept under constant review.”

Frank Brehany, MD of HolidayTravelWatch, said: "Whilst tourism has essentially stayed away from Egypt, we must understand their reasons for doing so, whilst offering sympathy and understanding to those who rely on that tourism.

"It is not in my view the role of UK holidaymakers to be simply a ‘commodity' in the promotion of tourist trade between the UK and Egypt; that can surely only come when all the right measures and conditions are in place to guarantee their safety and indeed demonstrate that they not only work but that there is stability in any difficult destination."

The threat of terrorism is currently labelled as “high” in Egypt.

EGYPT: Tourism Signals Recovery

Tourists are slowly returning to Egypt, easing pressure on a key sector battered by years of turmoil and the 2015 bombing of a plane carrying Russian holidaymakers.

"There is an increase in the number of tourists. This situation was much better in January than in previous years," tourism ministry spokeswoman Omaima al-Husseini said.

Visitors from China, Japan and Ukraine account for a large part of the growth.

China´s top public travel agency, China International Travel Service, reported a 58 percent increase in tourists flying to Egypt compared with 2015.

"There are more bookings between October 2016 and January 2017 than last year," said Egyptian Federation of Tourism chief Karim Mohsen.

"There is an improvement, especially in cultural tourism in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan," key historical sites, he said.

The uptick is a sign of hope for a country also reeling from the shock of an economic reform programme that has triggered massive inflation.

Once a key foreign currency earner, the tourism sector crashed in 2011 after a popular uprising overthrew veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak, ushering in years of sporadic unrest.

Recoveries in the sector since then have been set back by new crises.

In June 2015, a massacre of tourists at a Luxor temple was narrowly averted when assailants armed with assault rifles and explosives bungled the attack and were intercepted by police.

But in October that year, Islamic State group jihadists, who are waging an insurgency in the eastern Sinai Peninsula, struck again. They bombed a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers home from the popular Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

All 224 people on board were killed.

Russia suspended flights to Egypt and Britain cut air links with Sharm el-Sheikh.

Visitor numbers plunged from 9.3 million in 2015 to 5.3 million the following year, Husseini said.

EGYPT: Tourism Still Very Low

A year after jihadists bombed a Russian plane carrying holidaymakers in Egypt, tourism shows little sign of recovery in the Arab country grappling with an economic crisis.

In Khan Al Khalili, a historic bazaar in Cairo once full of tourists, a clothing store owner says he now spends his days surfing Facebook.

“I don’t have anything else to do,” said Amgad Qasabgi, 45, in front of his shop, a sequinned two-piece belly dancing outfit dangling over his head.

The October 31, 2015 bombing of the plane claimed by Daesh killed all 224 people on board after take-off from the Red Sea resort of Sharm Al Shaikh.

Russia reacted by cancelling all flights to Egypt, with Britain cancelling flights to the resort town itself, decimating a tourism sector already battered by unrest following the country’s 2011 revolution.

Citizens of the two countries make up around 40 per cent of foreign tourists to Egypt.

The drop in tourism revenues, a main source of foreign hard currency, has exacerbated a dollar shortage in Egypt that in turn has hit imports.

Government officials have blamed a foreign conspiracy targeting the Egyptian economy, while unveiling slick commercials to try to woo back the tourists. “There are no foreign tourists,” said Qasabgi, a father of five. “Spending by Egyptian tourists does not cover our daily expenses.”

The bazaar’s cafeterias and restaurants are empty save for some Egyptian families and strolling students.

A few tourists hopped off two buses parked at a plaza in front of the nearby Hussein mosque, but most returned without buying any souvenirs.

“Tourism has totally died,” said Abdel Rahman, a salesman at a large store specialising in lanterns and inscribed silver chandeliers.

A family of European tourists enters the shop and haggles over a small lamp. They leave empty-handed.

“The few tourists who do come almost always don’t buy anything,” said Abdel-Rahman, turning off the light to save on his electricity bill.

Traditionally, tourism has provided about 20 per cent of Egypt’s foreign currency needs. In February, Prime Minister Esmail Sharif told state television the country had already lost up to $1.3 billion since the airliner disaster.

Even before the Russian plane disaster, the tourism industry had been badly hit. In June 2015, police foiled an attempted suicide bombing near the famed Karnak temple in Luxor — one of Egypt’s most popular attractions — while 600 tourists were inside.

In September the same year, eight Mexicans were mistakenly killed by security forces in the vast Western Desert.

Last year, tourist numbers plunged by more than half, to 6.3 million, compared with 15 million in 2010. The number from Russia fell to 2.3 million, from 3.1 million in 2014.

At the same time, tourism revenues dropped by 15 per cent to $6.2 billion in 2015, compared with the previous year, according to official figures.

The government aims to attract 20 million tourists, with revenues of $26 billion, by 2020, through an international campaign to promote Egypt and develop tourist sites.

Egyptian authorities say they are in a “war on terrorism” since the military overthrow of Islamist president Mohammad Mursi in 2013 unleashed an insurgency.

President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi, the former army chief, has vowed to restore order, but attacks have persisted, especially in the Sinai Peninsula.

Jason Shi, a Chinese citizen in Egypt on a business trip, said he could not resist visiting the historic landmarks.

“We got a warning from our foreign ministry not to visit Sinai or to stay late in the streets or approach security premises,” he said outside Cairo Museum.

“But I cannot miss this opportunity to visit famous places like the pyramids and Old Cairo,” said Shi, who was accompanied by a Mandarin-speaking tourist guide.

Sharif Ebrahim, a 59-year-old waiter at a kebab restaurant in Khan Al Khalili, doubted the prospects of a recovery.

“No tourist in their right mind would come to Egypt,” he said. “I’m not optimistic with the new season when there is talk of terrorism and calls for [antigovernment] protests.”

EGYPT: 22 Chinese Tourists Injured in Hot Air Balloon Accident

Twenty-two Chinese tourists were injured in Luxor on Tuesday after a hot air balloon made an emergency landing in Al-Habil village east of Luxor.

Officials say that the tourists sustained minor injuries, such as bruises and scratches, and were transferred to Luxor International hospital. Local media outlets reported that the tourists received treatment and were discharged from the hospital.

The balloons are known for attracting high-paying tourists. A two-hour balloon trip costs approximately $100, while prices for special trips lasting two hours or more can cost as much as $500.

In February, a hot air balloon carrying tourists crashed near Luxor after the fuel supply caught fire, resulting in 18 people killed and three injured.

The deceased passengers included tourists from Hong Kong, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, Hungary, and Egypt. Two British citizens and the pilot were injured.

EGYPT: Tourism Ministry To Take Chinese Tourists To Luxor And Aswan

The Ministry of Tourism is looking into a contract with a private airline to fly from Guangzhou, China to Luxor and Aswan directly to increase hotel occupancy in the region in the upcoming period.

According to an official at the Ministry of Tourism, who preferred to remain anonymous, negotiations with the airline are nearly complete and the results will be announced within days. The official noted that security authorities have decided to allow entry to Chinese tourists upon arrival as opposed to obtaining a visa from the embassy in China.

“The Chinese market is a new market for Egyptian tourism and falls within the emerging markets that Egypt seeks to enter,” the official said. The ministry is targeting 100,000 to 200,000 Chinese tourists in 2016.

Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Authority Samy Mahmoud said the Chinese market has “large potential” in the future.

He believes that increasing the numbers of Chinese tourists relies on flights between the two countries, whether through charter airlines or EgyptAir flights.

According to head of the Egyptian Federation of Tourism Chambers Elhamy El-Zayat, the Chinese market has grown bigger as a result of increased wages in China and the incentives some Chinese companies grant their employees in addition to conference tourism.

“Those companies may find Luxor and Aswan attractive for the cities’ cultural heritage that appeal to South and East Asia tourists, especially Chinese,” El-Zayat said.

The report stated that Chinese tourists would be allowed entry visas from the port of arrival since it may be difficult for them to travel to where the Egyptian embassy is located in China.

The Ministry of Tourism has decided to grant those visas only to those arriving in tours and carrying a cut-off amount of money, which is yet to be determined. The report explicitly excluded tourists from what it called “lower backgrounds”.

The official said the ministry would implement this plan before the end of the first quarter (Q1) of 2016 and will focus on the Chinese, Indian, and Japanese markets. He explained that flights from these markets would be subsidised to $70 per seat.

The ministry aims to bring about 500,000 tourists from these three markets by the end of 2016, according to the official. “The number is not big but it depends on flights from those countries,” he said.

The Egyptian Tourism Federation hosted its Indian counterpart several times over the past two years in Luxor and Aswan to sign a cooperation protocol between the two federations and increase Indian tourism to Egypt.

EGYPT: 6 major tourism companies partake in ‘Egypt is in Our Hearts’ programme

Tourism companies formed six alliances to participate in the tourism programme “Egypt is in Our Hearts” that was launched by the Ministry of Tourism to support touristic areas in Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurghada, Luxor, and Aswan.

The companies of the six alliances include El-Nahar Tours, Cairo Airport Travel, Overseas Tours, Al-Yamani, Egyptian Nile Tours, and Lucky Tours. An official in the Egyptian Travel Agents Association (ETAA) said they requested any willing companies to implement a programme from any of the six companies.

The Ministry of Tourism will suspend the “Egypt is in Our Hearts” initiative during schools’ winter holiday in January since there is already an increasing demand on Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada during that time.

Board Member of ETAA Adel Abdel Razek said tourism programmes targeting Egyptians must cover the entire year, and should not be neglected or exist only during periods of crises. He believes the major cause of the low rate of domestic travel is the high prices of plane tickets, although EgyptAir reduced its prices in the past period.

The decision to suspend the programme during the current period came due to the usual high demands during the winter holidays, as support from the Ministry of Tourism is not required, the official however noted.

The programme is meant to support tourism during periods of crisis, and will resume after the winter holiday in cooperation with the tourism companies, and the Ministries of Tourism and Aviation, he continued.

The official expects more than 20 companies to participate in the programme in cooperation with the National Bank of Egypt. “The programme aims to increase hotel occupancies in areas suffering from the lack of tourists, especially in Luxor and Aswan,” he said.

The programme’s prices range from EGP 600 to EGP 4,000, including the plane ticket, for four nights, according to the hotel’s category.

Abdel Razek said there are negotiations with private airlines to organise trips to tourism destinations in Hurghada, Luxor, and Aswan. The private airlines can provide good offers with low prices that suit domestic tourists.

Member of ETAA in Luxor and Aswan Tharwar El-Agami criticised the suspension of the tourism programmes midyear. “The decision will limit Egyptians’ ability to visit the archaeological areas in Luxor and Aswan, since there will not be a better time than the midyear holidays to visit these areas.”

According to El-Agami, the hotels in Luxor and Aswan have suffered most since the 25 January Revolution in 2011; more than 250 hotels and Nile boats shut down because of lack of tourists in the area.

EGYPT: Flights Taking Tourists Away But Bringing Non, Sharm El Sheikh Increasingly Deserted

The warm, turquoise sea glimmers tantalisingly as it laps at sandy beaches surrounded by palm trees and colourful, exotic flowers.

Ordinarily in November, few sun loungers would be unoccupied under the umbrellas that line the shores of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Most would be filled with Russian and British holidaymakers escaping the cold weather at home.

But now most tourists have disappeared.

The beach is empty. It was full until a few days ago but the Russians have all gone.

I feel so sorry for the people,a tourist expresses. "I don't know how the hotels will survive the coming weeks."

Not far away, the bars and clubs of Naama Bay pump out loud music to ever-diminishing numbers of customers. Souvenir sellers and diving tutors sit idle with worried expressions.

"There's no business," bemoans Raed, who runs a store selling Pharaonic knick-knacks - from plastic scarabs to papyrus scrolls - that are usually popular with European visitors.

The resort is increasingly deserted after the plane crash which led the UK, Russia and several other countries to suspend flights here.

All 224 people onboard a Russian charter jet were killed when it came down over the north of the rugged Sinai peninsula on 31 October.

Suspicions that a bomb could have been planted onboard have raised concerns about security at Sharm el-Sheikh airport.

In recent days, airlines have made special arrangements to fly out tens of thousands of passengers - without bringing in new arrivals.

"On a normal basis we would be 90% full right now, everyone would be working and everyone would be happy," says Amr Darwish, an owner of the Terrazzina beach club.

He worries he might have to lay off staff in the near future.

"We don't know when the tourists are going to be able to come back. You can't make a business plan for next week, let alone next month or next year," he adds.

According to the tourism ministry, Egypt stands to lose 2.2bn Egyptian pounds ($280m) a month after the cancellation of flights from Russia and Britain.

Two-thirds of tourists to Sharm el-Sheikh come from these two countries. The destination earns about a third of Egypt's total proceeds from tourism.

It was able to recover from previous shocks, including a series of deadly militant bombings along the Red Sea coast between 2004 and 2006 and a killer shark attack.

In the political turmoil since the 2011 uprising, which overthrew the long-time leader, President Hosni Mubarak, the resort has proven resilient compared to other popular attractions like the Giza Pyramids and Luxor.

Yet with the Egyptian economy still in a fragile state, the effects of the latest setback will be deeply felt.

Workers in Sharm el-Sheikh - from taxi drivers to hotel receptionists - come from across the country and send salaries home. Tourism is a vital source of foreign currency.

"This couldn't have come at a worst time," says Angus Blair of the Signet Institute, a Cairo-based economic think-tank.

"Egypt needs this [resort] economically in terms of employment and foreign exchange revenues.

"It will definitely damage sentiment and lead to problems at the central bank because clearly they're already under stress trying to access foreign currency for trade."

This week a senior Russian official warned it would take "several months, as a minimum" for Russian flights to Sharm el-Sheikh to resume as the investigation into what caused the crash continues.

He said it would be impossible to radically revise Egypt's security system quickly.

Concerns have been raised about baggage scanning procedures and searches at an entry gate for food and fuel for aircraft at Sharm el-Sheikh airport.

There are some hopes that in the short-term, Arab tourists and those from central Europe can be attracted to the resort in greater numbers.

However most business owners accept the reality is that they must brace themselves for another tough period ahead.

"It will take us time to recover but a place like this never dies," says Mr Darwish. "It's a nice resort with great weather. We have the sea, the corals, the desert. It's magical."

The Bournes, visiting from Wales, also believe in the enduring appeal of Sharm el-Sheikh - even though their holiday has been overshadowed by the plane crash which happened a day after they arrived. Their return home has been delayed by at least a day.

"This could happen anywhere, couldn't it?" Jenny Bourne comments stoically.

"I would come back again next year," her husband, Richard, says. "They just need to sort that airport out."

Egypt is counting on other tourists adopting a similar attitude.

EGYPT: Tour Operators Warn They Will Fly Elsewhere Unless Airport Security Is Guaranteed Soon.

Tour operators warn they will have to fly elsewhere unless airport security can be guaranteed soon.

British package holidays directly to Sharm el-Sheikh may not resume until next July unless tour operators receive assurances soon that its airport is secure from infiltration by jihadists.

Travel companies have warned that if a verdict on the safety of is not reached by the end of this month, they will need to divert next season’s flights to other destinations.

That would leave British travellers unable to visit a popular sun spot and strike a major blow to the Egyptian economy, which relies heavily on British tourism.

It is unlikely the UK government will be able to reach a decision by the travel industry’s end-of-November deadline, and Philip Hammond, the Foreign Secretary, has said that flights may remain suspended until Christmas.

The uncertainty is fuelled by the fact that Egypt’s authorities have still not established whether or not an operative of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) smuggled a bomb on to the Russian airliner that crashed nine days ago, killing all 224 aboard.

Investigators have reportedly interrogated 18 airport managers and workers but have made no arrests and still do not know if there is a mole among the staff.

Eight British flights left yesterday carrying around 2,000 passengers. Some 15,000 Britons are still in the resort, of which 3,000 were supposed to be home already.

The British airlift is dwarfed by the Russian repatriation, which is seeing more than 20 flights taking 4,800 passengers out of Sharm el-Sheikh every day.

John Casson, Britain’s ambassador to Egypt, denied suggestions that Russia’s operations were slowing down the return flights of UK tourists.

Tourists enjoy the sea at Sharm el-Sheikh

Mr Casson added that the UK was confident British travellers could fly safely through other Egyptian airports.

It emerged, meanwhile, that holiday operators are selling packages to hotels within striking distance of the heartland of the Isil-affiliated group suspected of targeting the Russian airliner.

Websites including lastminute.com are offering holidays to Taba Heights, Egypt, for departures this week, even though the British government has been advising against all but essential travel to areas around the resort since last year.

Three tourists died in a suicide bombing in Taba last year. Hundreds of local civilians and troops have been killed in attacks.

However, Lastminute.com is offering a 10-night break at the Hilton Taba Resort Hotel and British visitors are known to currently be at the resort.

Recent reviews of Taba written by British tourists on TripAdvisor suggest they had no idea that it was in a danger zone.

One, Mike C from Chester, who stayed in April this year, said that “UK airlines don’t fly to Taba for some reason any more, so you get a bus or taxi from Sharm which can add to the occasion.”

Eight more flights are expected to leave Sharm el-Sheikh today to bring home British holidaymakers.

Tourists flying home at the weekend complained that there was still chaos at Sharm el-Sheikh airport.

Marc Standen, 28, a car salesman from Westgate, Kent, said: “They did a semi-pat down inside and we took our shoes off. I don’t think it was very thorough. Their security is terrible and they are completely overwhelmed.”

Bags taken on board were not checked adequately, he said, and at one point around 400 people tried to squeeze through two glass doors to get to a final security check, leaving some hurt as they got trampled.

He added: “We have left our two bags behind in a pile in the middle of the terminal, and I honestly don’t know if we will see them again.”

In a nutshell:
The Foreign Office (FCO) says there is a high threat from terrorism, but only advises against travel to certain areas
How many people does the FCO advice affect?
The 900,000 British nationals who visit Egypt every year
Out of bounds areas:
The FCO has advised against all travel to the Governorate of North Sinai
Only travel if absolutely necessary to:
Governorate of South Sinai (excluding Sharm el Sheikh); the area west of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta regions; all but essential travel by air to or from Sharm el Sheikh airport
The areas currently deemed safe:
The Sharm el Sheikh perimeter barrier, Nile Delta and Marsa Matruh. This includes the tourist areas along the Nile river (including Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings) and the Red Sea Resorts of Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada

EGYPT: Egypt Hopes Of Tourism Revival Expensive

Tourism in Sharm al-Sheikh was picking up again after years of political turmoil, with so many Russians enjoying the sun and fun that local beach aerobics instructors used the visitors’ own language rather than Arabic or English.

Life was at last starting to look good for residents of the Red Sea resort, but that was before an airliner taking Russian tourists home broke up over the Sinai Peninsula, where Islamic State militants suspected of planting a bomb on the plane are waging an insurgency.

Now the future looks grim for thousands of Egyptians, from taxi drivers to diving instructors, who flocked to Sharm al-Sheikh to find jobs. One tour company official predicted holidays might now have to be discounted by up to 50 percent.

“I have been working in Sharm for three years but this is the first time I have ever seen it so empty,” said Ahmed Rabie. He spoke outside the cafe he runs in Naama Bay, at the resort’s heart. Chairs were stacked on tables and not a single person was sitting inside.

“Right now, all these cafes and restaurants would be full.”

Rabie pays 30,000 Egyptian pounds ($3,700) a month to rent the space, in addition to operational costs.

He said many small business owners had shut up shop after Western governments announced that the Airbus 321 was likely brought down by a bomb and then suspended flights to Sharm al-Sheikh, with Russia following suit.

“We are waiting for two or three days to see what happens but if it keeps on like this we will shut down and leave,” he said.

With low prices, cheap package deals and plenty of hotel rooms, Sharm al-Sheikh was a driving force behind Egypt’s efforts to lure back visitors.

It was starting to buzz.

Then the Russian plane crashed, with Islamic State claiming it was responsible. This immediately alarmed Egyptians, acutely aware of how vulnerable tourism is to such violence.

On Nov. 17, 1997 Islamic militants descended on Queen Hatshepsut’s temple near the Nile town of Luxor. In short order they shot or hacked to death 58 tourists and four Egyptians.

The following January and February, visitor numbers were down almost 60 percent from the previous year. The industry staged a remarkable comeback, but it took years.

Last month, Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou said tourism — a pillar of the economy — expected moderate growth this year with the aid of a global advertising campaign.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has restored some stability since the army toppled Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in 2013 following mass protests against his rule, but not enough to persuade large numbers of foreigners that it is safe to return.

Last year, 9.9 million tourists visited Egypt, a far cry from the 14.7 million who came in 2010, the year before the Arab Spring revolutions convulsed the Middle East.

An official at Sharm Travel Solutions, a British-owned Sharm al-Sheikh tour company, said holidays in the resort could be discounted by up to 50 percent if they can be sold at all.

“They may sell these holidays at half price but with flights suspended will anyone buy them?” the official said.

Other tour operators are offering holidays to Sharm al-Sheikh with price cuts of up to 200 pounds ($300).

A walk through Naama Bay reveals idle establishments, all with Russian signs to cater to the resort’s largest clientele.

The resort’s famous beaches fare only slightly better, with most just half full.

The prospect of a sharp decline in tourism receipts has left many scrambling to make sense of the sudden air disaster. Some are in denial.

“There are invisible foreign hands behind this,” said Mohamed Abdelaziz, who runs a safari trip business.

“Egypt lies in a strategic location and other countries are spiteful of this. Sharm is very safe, the police are even sometimes unfair to us to make sure it is safe for all guests.”

Many tourists interviewed agreed that Sharm al-Sheikh felt safe. Airport security was the problem, not the resort itself.

“Personally I felt sorry for Sharm as a resort when I heard about the plane crash. I’ve been here 14 times and I’ve never had a problem,” said British holidaymaker Vini Kneale.

If it turns out a bomb brought down the Russian plane, however, it would “discourage me from coming back,” he said.

THEY WANT THE AIRPORT

The crash is a blow to an already battered Sharm al-Sheikh tourism scene, said taxi driver Mohamed Odei.

“No one used to come here except the fat cats, people with thick wallets. Now if a tourist wants a budget holiday, they come here. And even that is coming to an end.”

Airport security was the main concern that drove British Prime Minister David Cameron to suspend flights to Sharm al-Sheikh. New regulations are now in place but for many it is too late.

“Egyptians don’t search well until there is a catastrophe.” says Odei, driving his taxi through a checkpoint outside the airport. Policemen with assault-rifles and soldiers circle his car, checking the trunk and his documentation.

Odei, originally from the Nile Delta city of Mansoura, has been working in Sharm al-Sheikh for seven years. He initially ran a restaurant but was forced to shut it down in 2005 after a suicide bomber attacked a market place and a hotel.

He noticed a sharp drop in passengers after flights were suspended.

“We now get maybe 30 percent of the passengers we usually get, and they all want to go to the airport,” he said. “I have never seen such crowds at the departure gate before, usually it’s the arrivals one.”

EGYPT: Egypt Big Plans To Boost Tourism Halted By Metrojet Air Crash

Egypt had launched festivities, archaeological openings and a new tourism campaign to draw much-needed foreign visitors. But with many flights to Red Sea resorts grounded Thursday amid suspicion that a bomb brought down a Russian airliner, hopes for a recovery were fading.

Egyptians, who depend on the key sector, were keeping a brave face even as some stranded tourists grew angry and tour operators bristled over possible cancellations.

The cause of Saturday's crash of a Metrojet flight packed with Russian tourists is still under investigation, but British Prime Minister David Cameron said it was "more likely than not" that a bomb brought down the flight. All 224 people on board were killed.

Cameron grounded all British flights to and from the Sinai Peninsula, stranding thousands of tourists, citing "intelligence" information. Germany's Lufthansa Group announced Thursday it was also suspending flights to and from the main Red Sea resort, Sharm el-Sheikh, joining other carriers in halting flights in the aftermath of the disaster.

Descending into the tomb of a pharaonic viceroy opened to the public for the first time in the ancient city of Luxor, Antiquities Minister Mamdouh Eldamaty said: "It is very sad what happened, but we have to wait on the result of the investigation."

"It was not a terror act, it was an accident," he added, voicing the official narrative that many Egyptians in tourism-dependent areas like Luxor and Sharm el-Sheikh have clung to.

A night earlier, a gala dinner in Luxor celebrated the anniversary of the 1922 discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb, with speakers reassuring patrons that Egyptian tourism was poised for growth. As the Cairo Opera's ballet troupe danced across a stage in pharaonic costumes, no mention was made of the crash, the proverbial elephant looming over the four-course meal served in front of the brightly lit Hatshepsut temple.

Security was beefed up at Sharm el-Sheikh's airport, where dozens of additional policemen patrolled halls that earlier in the day were full of stranded travelers, but later emptied out as vacationers sought new accommodations.

Some British tourists clashed with Sharm el-Sheikh hotel staff as tensions rose over delayed flights, a dearth of information from carriers and additional costs tacked on to budget vacation packages.

"Because English people are frustrated and upset, they are taking it out on the staff here, which is not fair," said Briton Emma Smyth, who said she witnessed one British family object loudly to extra charges.

"They said they should be allowed to stay and with that one man grabbed one of the managers — they ripped his shirt, ripped his name-badge off and everything," she said, adding that despite the delays and lack of information, she and her party were not concerned about their safety.

Paul Modley, a Briton who has travelled to Sharm el-Sheikh seven times in the last nine years, said he understood his government's decision to suspend flights as a precaution, but hopes the resort he stayed at is not too badly affected.

"The staff at the hotel is putting on a very positive face," he said. "I do not think they will fully appreciate it right now, but if this carries on for some time they will start to see the impact."

Tourism, which represents 11 percent of Egypt's economy and almost 20 percent of crucial foreign currency revenues, is making a gradual recovery after years of political upheaval since the 2011 popular uprising that deposed longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak,

However, its future could be grim if it is proven that an Islamic State bomb brought down the Russian passenger plane. In a northern corner of Sinai, the army is fighting Islamic militants who claim allegiance to the Islamic State group, and such a revelation would undermine President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's assertion that the insurgency is under control and Egypt is safe for tourists.

The sector was looking to re-launch itself on the world stage this week with a multimillion dollar promotional campaign highlighting the country's history and all-year-rounding sun-worshipping opportunities, primarily in and around Sharm el-Sheikh.

At the World Travel Market at London's Excel Exhibition Centre, Egypt's Pharaoh boat-shaped pavilion was one of the biggest and certainly one of the most eye-catching.

Morsi Shehata, general manager of Cairo-based Spring Tours Egypt, which organizes beach vacations in Sharm el-Sheikh and has 12 Nile cruise boats, said the British government's decision will undoubtedly hurt his business.

"All this has actually caused a panic among the tourists," he said, speaking at the tourism fair, which he had hoped would bring a fresh start after the years of upheaval following Mubarak's ouster.

"Of course there are some worries now," said Shehata, whose company has put up about 65 of its British clients in a Sharm el-Sheikh hotel as they await news on how they can return home.

Meanwhile in Luxor, the show went on, with antiquities authorities opening three 3,000-year-old New Kingdom tombs in hopes of revitalizing the Egyptology craze that has weathered wars, colonialism, and even terrorism in the past.

The most significant tomb was that of Huy, Viceroy of Kush under the famed King Tutankhamun. Inside the tomb, wall paintings depict a great festival with Nubian subjects giving tributes of gold and animal pelts to confirm Egypt's then-domination.

Elsewhere in the famed Valley of the Kings, a new exploration was scanning King Tutankhamun's tomb in hopes of discovering a new chamber.

British Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves, in Luxor for the scanning, speculated it could conceal two unexplored doorways, one of which might lead to the tomb of Queen Nefertiti, famous since her bust was discovered in 1912.

Eldamaty, the antiquities minister, said infrared thermography would be used to scan the tomb overnight, with another scan at the end of the month and results released by the end of the year. But he said he doubts Reeves' theory that Nefertiti's tomb lies within.

"We will scan to find what is behind the burial chamber," he said. "I agree with him that we will find something — but not Nefertiti, maybe another grand lady."

EGYPT: Tourism Development Authority (TDA

The Tourism Development Authority (TDA) arrangements to pull in 100,000 vacationers from South Africa amid the current monetary year (FY) 2014/ 2015, as per an official from the power.

The authority, who wished to stay unnamed, expressed that the Ministry of Tourism is in correspondence with Egyptair to empower go from South Africa, while at the same time giving motivating forces to outside tourism organizations.

As per the official, normal using by South African tourists arrives at roughly $120 for every night, making them the most astounding using visitors in Egypt.

The authority included that the TDA’s arrangements are some piece of a method to target new tourism markets, other than the conventional European and Arabic Gulf ones, and would like to exploit late monetary upturns in a few nations in the most recent decade which came about expanded pay for people.

The service focuses to expand tourism wage to $10.5bn for FY 2014 / 2015.

The authority expressed that the power is additionally attempting to build tourism from India, China, Brazil, and Argentina.

As per the official, the greater part of the visitors from these target nations lean toward social to memorable tourism in Luxor, Aswan, and Cairo, and their normal stay goes between five to seven nights.

EGYPT: Tourists You Are Welcome Back

Egyptians are calling on tourists to start returning to their country, now being safe. Indeed, very low prices and an enthusiastic population create a perfect environment for Egypt travellers.

In central Cairo's famous Tahrir Square, where the revolution was won, the victory is celebrated each Friday by large festive crowds, a growing number of tourists are taking place in the celebrations. They are still few, but are warmly received by the protesters, watching out for them and making sure they are safe.

Also at Tahrir Square, many of those having secured the revolution now are joining calls for international tourists to return to Egypt. "It is safe," they assure, and it would be the best way of the international community to support Egypt at these crossroads.

Indeed, tourists have never been as warmly welcomed to Egypt as these post-revolutionary days. The world-famous Egyptian Museum at Tahrir Square, which reopened earlier this week, welcomed the first international visiters with roses.

There are scenes of joy at the Giza pyramids; at the Nile cruiseboats; at historic sites in Luxor and Thebe as the first but few tourists start returning. Local businesses express their gratitude to the returnees in many ways.

One of these ways is lowering prices. Nile cruises could never be had as cheap as now; camel rides equally. Restaurants and hotels - even the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Cairo - offer major discounts to attract foreigners. Of course, occupancy rates are still far below normal.

Under these conditions, this is actually the best possible moment to visit Egypt. The joy of the revolution's victory is still strongly felt; visitors are welcomed in the warmest way; and prices in Egypt are at their lowest.

Although tourist numbers still are at their lowest, there is a remarkable interest in the Egyptian destination. Currently, only regular flights go to Egypt. Tour operators have not resumed charter flights.

But the two major markets for travellers to Egypt - the UK and Germany - will soon revive. Germany's giant TUI already on 1 March resumes flights to Egypt from most German airports. Austria's ETI event resumes Egypt trips tomorrow, 26 February. British Thomas Cook is already operating trips to Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada and Luxor.

"Our experienced teams on the ground assure us that no tourist areas at the Red Sea have been affected in any way by the recent demonstrations," Thomas Cook Ltd says in an Egypt update issued yesterday. "They are fully operational and holidaymakers are continuing to enjoy the popular resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada."

Other countries are slower in normalising their Egypt travel operations, in some cases cancelled until April or even May. But this is quickly changing as governments are removing their Egypt travel warnings. Swedish operator Apollo yesterday announced that, following the lifting of the Stockholm Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel warning, its first flight to Hurghada was to be precipitated by one month, to 2 April.
Egypt is safe; Tourists, come back
Egyptian authorities are doing their best to hasten such changes in Europe - their main travel market - despite the problems at the Ministry of Tourism, where the ex-Minister and several of his aides have been fired over corruption allegations.

Visiting German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle yesterday met his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Abul-Gheit and other ministers, in talks that to a large degree addressed the tourism sector. Minister Abul-Gheit urged Germany to keep "the flow of tourists to the country" and Minister Westerwelle said government had not only lifted the trave warning, but was urging German tourists to visit Egypt.

Minister Abul-Gheit urged Germany to keep "the flow of tourists to the country" and Minister Westerwelle said government had not only lifted the trave warning, but was urging German tourists to visit Egypt.

Meanwhile, potential Egypt travellers all around the world are investigating ways to go and experience the new spirit in this ancient destination. Travel agents in the US are reporting on growing numbers of reservations and about tourists that had to cancel trips to Egypt earlier now are looking for new possibilities to go to the country.

From Finland, tour operator Finnmatkat reports a large request of people wanting to go to Egypt. These are both people made curious by the revolution and people that had to cancel their trips earlier this year. Among those having to cancel their trips, "many customers wanted to go Egypt in particular, which is why other destinations did not necessarily attract them", Finnmatkat reports. Following the pressure, trips from Finland to Egypt are to resume in mid-March.

Also TUI in Germany is noting an increased interest in its planned resumption of Egypt trips, which still remain fairly cheap. Interestingly, non-Germans are seeking to book Egypt travels through TUI as tour operators in their countries are slow to resume flights.

But despite these optimistic signals, the revivial of the Egytpian tourism industry is still very slow.

March will be the make-or-break month for the recovery of the country's tourism industry. Then, it will be seen if the 2011 season can be saved and if the large labour force in the sector can be maintained.