# Egypt is threatened with removal from global tourism pamphlets



## hhaddad (Apr 14, 2010)

The violence in Tahrir Square has devastated an already rocky tourism sector in Egypt, say industry sourcesDalia Farouk, Ahram Online, Thursday 24 Nov 2011
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A guard sits beside Fiela Temple in Aswan (Photo: Reuters)The head of the Egyptian Federation of Tourism Chambers, Elhami Zayat, has told Ahram Online that Egypt is threatened with being removed from global touristic brochures if there is not an immediate cessation to the violence taking place in Tahrir Square.

"I do not agree with Egypt's minister of tourism who said that the country's tourism is not affected by the Tahrir events," Zayat added.

Zayat explained that while he was in the United States he has witnessed large drop in reservations of tours to Egypt, especially Cairo, Luxor and Aswan.

"The Egyptian government did not support the tourism sector," Zayat said at a press conference Monday. 

"I noticed a lot of fear from many tourism operators when I was in the World Travel Market Conference in London," Thrwat Agami, head of the Luxor Touristic Chambers, told Ahram gate.

On other hand, several owners of hotels in downtown Cairo said that occupancy rates are at a maximum of 15 per cent, and most guests are journalists and TV channel reporters coming to cover the events at Tahrir Square, and parliamentary elections to follow. Tourists are few.

Samy Mahmoud, deputy chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Authority, stated Wednesday that he had received reports from the authority's offices around Egypt's governorates that showed there were many cancellations of trips to Egypt made by tour operators in many countries, mainly Britain, Italy, France and Japan, due to the violence in Tahrir Square since last Friday.


Egypt is threatened with removal from global tourism pamphlets - Economy - Business - Ahram Online


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

It is not just Egypt that is suffering from a lack of tourists, Spain, Greece and Portugal are also suffering.  People in Europe no longer have the same spending power.
The protesting isn't helping but it certainly isn't to blame.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Sadly Egypts unrest has played a big part in the problems within Thomas Cook who had invested rather too heavily in their Egypt holidays. 

Jo xxx


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

jojo said:


> Sadly Egypts unrest has played a big part in the problems within Thomas Cook who had invested rather too heavily in their Egypt holidays.
> 
> Jo xxx




I can't see how as they still flew people into here last January/Feb.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

MaidenScotland said:


> I can't see how as they still flew people into here last January/Feb.


Nor me, but I do know that their passenger numbers to Egypt have dropped significantly since the crisis there and TC had literally just increased their investment to Egypt (painting pyramids on planes etc, investing in refurbishing hotels, advertising heavily to the Russian market....). I guess that and of course the bigger world wide recession - as you've pointed out, people being unable to afford as many holidays..... It all contributes doesnt it!

I wonder now if Egypt becomes a cheaper destination, whether they could claw back????

Jo xxxx


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## Lanason (Sep 1, 2009)

jojo said:


> Nor me, but I do know that their passenger numbers to Egypt have dropped significantly since the crisis there and TC had literally just increased their investment to Egypt (painting pyramids on planes etc, investing in refurbishing hotels, advertising heavily to the Russian market....). I guess that and of course the bigger world wide recession - as you've pointed out, people being unable to afford as many holidays..... It all contributes doesnt it!
> 
> I wonder now if Egypt becomes a cheaper destination, whether they could claw back????
> 
> Jo xxxx


I don't believe that Tourist to areas outside Cairo should worried - Hugarda and Sharm should carry on with no effects
BUT the fear factor will be huge - the world thinks Egypt IS all like Tahrir.

So nightmare for Hotels and Tourism.

With have family planning to visit next Feb - my view is "leave it a bit then book tickets" as prices will come down. . .:clap2:


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Lanason said:


> I don't believe that Tourist to areas outside Cairo should worried - Hugarda and Sharm should carry on with no effects
> BUT the fear factor will be huge - the world thinks Egypt IS all like Tahrir.
> 
> So nightmare for Hotels and Tourism.
> ...




They may well go up as people realise there is nothing to fear


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## canuck2010 (Jan 13, 2010)

Maybe when the country has gone bust, when they hit the bottom of the barrel, there will be a chance for real positive change in leadership.


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## hhaddad (Apr 14, 2010)

MaidenScotland said:


> They may well go up as people realise there is nothing to fear


Actually prices are higher that last year and I don't think they will go down in the foreseeable future with fuel surcharges increasing etc. A one week stay in Hurghada or Sharm is now 600 quid by person (family 1200 + the kids) go to Spain.


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## crewmeal (Aug 9, 2011)

Don't forget the UK APD has also had an effect on air travel and it's about to go up again in the new year.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

The Associated Press: Egypt's economy slumps under weight of unrest ???

Jo xxx


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

jojo said:


> The Associated Press: Egypt's economy slumps under weight of unrest ???
> 
> Jo xxx




Yes it is making a difference but it is not the only reason and that is what we are trying to point. People making it the only reason are not doing the revolution any favours


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## hhaddad (Apr 14, 2010)

jojo said:


> The Associated Press: Egypt's economy slumps under weight of unrest ???
> 
> Jo xxx


We must face up to it it's not just the Egyptian uprising. It's caused by a large group of problems.

The Palestine problem,Libya, Syria .Yemen and even Bahrein. Also the Greek financial crisis and the Euro countries as a whole.The lack of available cash for Europians to even contemplate a holiday in Egypt and last but not least the bad press Egypt has been given lately.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

hhaddad said:


> We must face up to it it's not just the Egyptian uprising. It's caused by a large group of problems.
> 
> The Palestine problem,Libya, Syria .Yemen and even Bahrein. Also the Greek financial crisis and the Euro countries as a whole.The lack of available cash for Europians to even contemplate a holiday in Egypt and last but not least the bad press Egypt has been given lately.


Sadly the press make everything 100 times worse. I know that we need to hear about things, but once the media catch on to something, they sensationalise it and of course they spread the word and frighten people who otherwise wouldnt even know

Jo xxx


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## Widget (Jan 22, 2011)

Lanason said:


> I don't believe that Tourist to areas outside Cairo should worried - Hugarda and Sharm should carry on with no effects
> BUT the fear factor will be huge - the world thinks Egypt IS all like Tahrir.
> 
> So nightmare for Hotels and Tourism.


If only that were true Lanason, my husband told me last week that quite a few people had cancelled their bookings the hotel where he works because of what's going on in Cairo, they are toying again with the possibility of closing the hotel if it gets really quiet like it did in February.
Admittedly the majority of guests that stay there are Russian and they do tend to look on the negative side and panic a bit too early (that is not meant in anyway as a racist comment, before anyone says anything!), but the vast majority of guests to Sharm are from Russia, and if they all start cancelling then Sharm certainly will be affected


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## frank_the_tank (Nov 2, 2011)

Lanason said:


> I don't believe that Tourist to areas outside Cairo should worried - Hugarda and Sharm should carry on with no effects
> BUT the fear factor will be huge - the world thinks Egypt IS all like Tahrir.
> 
> So nightmare for Hotels and Tourism.
> ...


I totally agree. The press have not done the country any favours and I know from speaking to prospective travellers to Egypt that they will not go because they think the whole country is affected. Some news channels have tried to emhasise the fact that the Red Sea resorts are unaffected by the events in Tahrir Square but I fear their efforts were too late.

The short-term outlook for tourism in Egypt does look bleak but the long-term outlook is certainly good if the outcome of the elections is positive. Tourism in Egypt accounts for around 13% of annual GDP (c.$26 billion) and this has obviously been drastically affected by the revolution and current events. It is so important for the country to bring stability and get things sorted out...

As for the European market, there is no doubt that the global economic situation is having an impact. People just don't have the disposable income to holiday as regularly as before. I'm sure people are still visiting resorts like Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada...mainly because there are some great deals now!


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## PoleDancer (Apr 14, 2010)

Well the reasons for the draconian new ban on importation of foreign alcohol have not been made clear, but it could be that the move will send a very poor signal to foreign visitors about just how welcome they will be here now.


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## Eco-Mariner (Jan 26, 2011)

The goose has been killed, cooked and no-one is around to eat it.

Egypt saw a gravy train of tourist dollars and exploited it till it burst. Thomas Cook and Thomson etc. had 2011 contracts to complete but costs and risks overcame practicality. Russia lost its concessions, fuel and landing charges made Egypt unviable with half-filled planes this year. Unless the Ministry of Tourism can see the errors of their greed I'm afraid the industry will not survive as we/they knew it. Drastic re-evaluation is necessary as soon as Egypt decides who really runs the country and its economy.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Eco-Mariner said:


> The goose has been killed, cooked and no-one is around to eat it.
> 
> Egypt saw a gravy train of tourist dollars and exploited it till it burst. Thomas Cook and Thomson etc. had 2011 contracts to complete but costs and risks overcame practicality. Russia lost its concessions, fuel and landing charges made Egypt unviable with half-filled planes this year. Unless the Ministry of Tourism can see the errors of their greed I'm afraid the industry will not survive as we/they knew it. Drastic re-evaluation is necessary as soon as Egypt decides who really runs the country and its economy.




I said in a previous thread that Egypt is pricing itself out of the market.
I have been sourcing some items for my shop in Spain.. I can buy pyramids etc cheaper in a shop in Benidorm than I can buy here.
One of the reasons tourist came here was the cheap price of things.. nothing is cheap here.


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