Arthur Andersen : Egypt has leading tourist sites
Egypt, Economics, 7/21/2000

The London-based Arthur Andersen Organization is one of the most famous institutions outside North America conducting hospitality industry surveys.

The Arthur Andersen's latest report, according to the data collected from more than 3500 hotels worldwide, said that the number of tourists to Egypt recorded 17.5% growth, taking into account that Egypt represents 50% of the total number in the Middle East tourists.

Egypt has achieved a breakthrough as tourist visits increased by 40% while the number of tourists reached unprecedented level.

The report said that the Egyptian tourist sites and resorts take the lead in the Middle East with regard to occupancy rates. According to the report, occupancy rates in Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada rose to 79% and 77% respectively. The Red Sea resorts became far famed as strong competitors to other resorts in the Middle East.

On the other hand, Cairo and Alexandria scored high occupancy rates. The report concluded that the year 1999 was a success for hotels in Egypt. Occupancy and price rates increased in all hotels except those of Luxor. The Red Sea resorts have recovered while Nile cruises have increased, especially in Lake Nasser.

The report focused on the most famous tourist cities as follows:

Alexandria, After a long history of being a domestic public summer resort, Alexandria has become an international resort thanks to modern infrastructure and utilities. It can also host conferences and meetings. In addition, the plan of utilizing San Estifano Complex, including Four Seasons Hotel, and the recent monument discoveries will make of Alexandria a destination for world tourism.

Sharm el Sheikh, This city enjoys high rate occupancy and reservations for the year 2000. Seemingly, Sharm el Sheikh, with its international hotels, is establishing itself to be a unique world resort. On its part, the Egyptian government spares no effort to improve the city's infrastructure, particularly Sharm el Sheikh Airport.

Hurghada, Hurghada has recently become the most popular resort in the Middle East. Nowadays, there are 15,000 hotel rooms offering high quality services that make this city a pioneer in its region. Another 2800 rooms will be added to hardly meet the increasing numbers of the European tourists since Hurghada is expected to receive 1 million visitors in 2000.

Cairo, Though down town hotels traditionally lead Cairo hotels, new urban communities round the capital offer better opportunities for establishing new hotels.

Luxor, Due to the exceptional increase in the number of tourists to Egypt, Luxor is expected to restore its old glory soon.

Previous Stories:
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  Egyptian businessman establishes a tourist project in al-Aqaba   (7/13/2000)
  Egypt has 101 industrial zones   (6/17/2000)

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