Egypt operators back to business

Egypt operators are busy reinstating their full programmes after the Foreign and Commonwealth Office decided to lift its ban on Cairo, Great Cairo, Giza and the Giza Pyramids yesterday.

Philip Breckner at Discover Egypt says it already has customers lined up wanting to go back.

"It will take time to rebuild consumer confidence and yet we’ve already finalised travel arrangements for those who had been impatiently waiting for the FCO advice to be lifted," he said.

"We are supported by a great team in resort and the Egyptian Tourist Office here in UK and the Ministry of Tourism in Egypt. With good co-operartion we can ensure that the positive messages are distributed and that travellers can return to enjoy Egypt, especially classical Egypt."

This week Breckner met with Tarek Saaad El din, the new Governor of Luxor, who outlined some immediate intiatives, including rebuilding pavements and installing 150 additional security cameras to safeguard artefacts and visitors.

Luxor is also looking to attract more investment in tourist infrastructure longer term and is to set up study and research groups with workshops and forum to look at ways of improving it.

Jono Vernon-Powell, managing director of AITO operator Nomadic Thoughts, said it was ready to take clients back and had hoped the advice had been relaxed a bit earlier.

"Our people on the ground were telling us it was all fine and we had expected this decision a bit earlier, but we fully appreciate the delicacies of the political situation," he said.

Vernon-Powell expects to see an immediate upturn in demand from clients who want to take advantage of the lack of other tourists at the key Egyptian tourist sites.

"This is a great window of opportunity for those who want to see the pyramids and other tourist landmarks with just dozens of other people rather than thousands," he said. "We will be openly encouraging our clients to go now."

But he said the full upswing won’t happen until the Spring, when the Egypt market is traditionally busier.

"In the winter it gets a bit cold and the market falls off a bit anyway, but the spring is when you’ll start to see the mainstream market going back," he said.

Red Sea Holidays will be resuming excursions and multi-centre tours from January 2014, which include Cairo and the Nile.

Sales director Jason Hilton said: ""Over the last four weeks we have sent more than 50 agents on resort visits to the Red Sea with a further 40 departing in January, to see for themselves that it’s business as usual in this guaranteed winter sun destination.

"We have received nothing but positive feedback from visiting agents and have seen a dramatic uplift in sales volumes of late. We are very optimistic about forward sales in the New Year, when we also hope to recommence our Nile Cruise and Cruise & Stay operations."

Back in July Egypt operators had been forced to cancel trips and suspend operations in most parts of Egypt, except for the Red Sea resorts, after weeks of political protests and violent clashes in Cairo and in other parts of the country.