Egypt unrest hits hoteliers, travel warning issued

The political deadlock that has been created in Egypt following the overthrow of former president Mohamed Mursi last week is causing more unrest for the country’s hoteliers, as huge protests across the country turned violent killing more than 35.

Over the weekend some of the worst clashes between pro- and anti-Mursi demonstrators in Cairo were centred around Tahrir Square and a number of high-profile buildings, including the state television headquarters, the Egyptian Museum and the Ramses Hilton hotel.

Speaking exclusively to Hotelier Middle East a Hilton Worldwide spokesperson gave an update on the hotel’s situation: “Despite the recent unrest in Cairo, Hilton Worldwide hotels have not been directly affected and remain open for business. All hotel facilities are operating as normal.”

“The safety and security of our guests and team members is of paramount importance. We are monitoring the situation closely and are advising guests and team members to exercise caution and avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place.

"Hilton Worldwide would urge travellers due to arrive in coming days to check their travel advisory or tour operator/travel agent for up to date travel advice. For guests who have bookings and require more information, please contact the Hilton Worldwide hotel team directly,” they added.

Now with countries around the world issuing travel warnings and advising tourists to stay away, the latest crisis looks set to further compound Cairo’s hospitality market with latest HotStats report for May by TRI Hospitality Consulting revealing that the city’s occupancy levels had already declined by 5% to 47.5%.

Commented on the recent developments TRI Hospitality Consulting Senior Consultant Christopher Hewett said: “While Mursi has now been overthrown, and he has been one of the major causes of the recent unrest and protests, at the moment there doesn’t seem to be a clear replacement.

"It is therefore very difficult to anticipate what will happen, and while the removal of the President may calm down some tensions within the country, it is very much a case of wait and see to how this will affect the country in the long term. One thing that is clear however, is that with the recent travel warnings to the country for GCC nationals, this will have a serious impact in the short term.’