Egypt's historical credentials are well known, but a new modern destination is emerging. Egypt's historical credentials are well known, but a new modern destination is emerging.

Arrivals stats
Following an impressive 22% year-on-year increase in foreign tourist arrivals to Egypt in 2007, the Ministry of Tourism reported that foreign tourists totalled around 12.8 million in 2008, up 15% on 2007.

The most important source markets, it said, were Russia, Germany, Italy, Britain, Poland, Ukraine, Libya, France, Saudi Arabia and the US.

However, hotel bookings at the beginning of the 2009 show a dramatic drop compared with the same period in 2008 and the ministry has put in measures in place to counteract this decline.

Story continues below
Advertisement

Some hotels are now exempt from paying contributions to the Egyptian tourism promotion authority and the government has also subsidised the revenues of some of the charter flights coming in from European destinations.

Based on deteriorating economic conditions in key source markets, especially within the euro zone, Russia and Eastern Europe, there is an expectation that there will be a period of negative growth in tourist figures, but with a potential for a return to positive growth in 2010.

Additionally, it is thought the strength of the Egyptian Pound will have a negative impact on Egypt’s competitiveness as a tourist destination.

Property portfolio

IBEROTEL
The hospitality company Iberotel will open the five-star Il Mercato hotel in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt in January 2010. The 276-bedroom spa hotel will be located in Hadabet Um El Seed, the centre of Il Mercato Promenade, which is one of the city’s main upmarket shopping destinations.

ANGSANA
Angsana will open its first Cairo property in 2012, after Banyan Tree signed up to develop a 100-bedroom property, destination spa and Greg Norman signature course with Egypt-based developer Sodic.

The 31,373m² resort will offer guests a gym, yoga and aerobics rooms, an outdoor pool with hydrotherapy facilities, tennis and squash courts, as well as the Troon Golf-managed course.It will be located in the new Allegria development in the west of Cairo.

CORAL COSMOPOLITAN HOTEL
The first Coral Hotels & Resorts property, Coral Cosmopolitan, will open in Egypt in 2010 offering 85 rooms, two restaurants and two meeting room.

RITZ-CARLTON CAIRO, PALM HILLS
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. has signed an agreement with Palm Hills Developments to manage The Ritz-Carlton Cairo, Palm Hills and a Jack Nicklaus-designed 27-hole golf course and clubhouse, set to open in 2012.

Situated within the Palm Hills October community in the new cosmopolitan 6th of October City, the property is approximately 45 minutes from downtown Cairo and within 20 minutes of the pyramids of Giza.

The Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo will debut as the city’s first in 2011, joining The Ritz-Carlton, Sharm El Sheikh — the company’s first resort in the country.

Each guestroom in the 160-room resort will feature spacious accommodations to showcase contemporary design with uninterrupted panoramic views of the legendary Pyramids. There will also be an 1115m² spa, health club and two outdoor swimming pools.