Egypt lures Saudis back to Sharm Al-Sheikh

A campaign to attract one million tourists from Saudi Arabia launched as Sharm Al-Sheikh revives tourism from Arab nations.

The Egyptian Ministry of Transport, together with the national carrier Egypt Air, has launched campaign called "1 million tourists to Sharm Al-Sheikh" as part of an attempt to revive tourism arrivals following the recent incident which brought down a Russian passenger plane, the Saudi Gazette has reported.

The country's consul general, Adel Al-Alfi, reassured Saudi tourists that Sharm Al-Sheikh "is safe and secure", speaking at a press conference at the Egyptian Consulate in Jeddah on Wednesday.

"Saudi Arabia and Egypt enjoy a great relationship and we always feel as one people and we offer Sharm Al-Sheikh with a great form, where stability and progress prevail now," he said. "We are committed to make the resort city safe and fun-filled for the Saudi tourist."

"Arab visitors are expected to play a significant role in the revival of tourism to Sharm Al-Sheikh. Arab tourists spend at a high rate and are friendly toward Egypt," he added.

The campaign takes into consideration the average tourist spend of both Arab tourists and European, noting a difference of approximately $30 per night, Arab tourists spends approximately $100 a night, whereas Europeans spend less than $70.

Bandar Al-Fuhaid, president of the Arab Tourism Organization said Arab tourists spent more than $78 billion on foreign vacations, however Arab countries receive only 40% of that total figure.