Egypt set for a pivotal year

The Egyptian State Tourist Authority has launched a UK awareness campaign to make Hurghada the premier destination for UK visitors.

The tourist board has revealed four times as many Germans now travel to Egypt every year than Brits. And with flights to Sharm unlikely to resume in the near future, Hurghada, Marsa Alam, Luxor and Aswan will lead Egypt’s tourism offering to the UK.

Nearly 320,000 Britons went to Egypt last year, and some 61,481 have already travelled during January and February 2018 – up 39.1% on the same period in 2017.

Weekly UK flights to the country will increase from 18 to 25 this summer, bolstering travel to Hurghada, which Egypt hopes will become a state-of-the-art beach resort offering “some of the best diving, snorkelling and windsurfing in the world”, as well as markets and diverse nightlife.

Marsa Alam and the bay resorts of El Gouna, Sahl Hasheesh and Makadi Bay also offer beach tourism alternatives to Sharm.

Luxor, meanwhile, remains open as a base for Nile Cruises, the Valley of the Kings and the temple of Karnak.

Elsewhere, Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum will open in December following new archaeological discoveries. Waldorf Astoria, St Regis and Marriott will also develop their offering in Egypt over 2018-19.

Amr El Ezabi, Egypt tourism director UK and Ireland, said: “Hurghada has picked up very quickly, it is gaining the confidence of British tourists. Marsa Alam is gaining momentum too.”