PCT forecast: charters to Egypt could launch in autumn
Yuri Barzykin, Vice President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry, is confident that charters to Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh will open in autumn 2019.
According to him, in the summer months, the destination will not be in demand by travelers from Russia due to competition with other resorts, for example, with Turkey.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday participated in a press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shukri. Lavrov noted that “...the joint work of Russian and Egyptian specialists to ensure the proper level of security at the airports of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh will yield results, and tourists from Russia will be able to visit these beautiful resorts more comfortably.” According to him, “specialists work and progress is evident – and when to guess, you know, in any case, guessing is not very productive.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin in October 2018 agreed with the President of Egypt on “comprehensive partnership” and the opening of charter flights, but the topic gradually left the information space.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), 2018 Egypt It showed 16.5% growth in tourist arrivals, which gave the country the second place in North Africa. Despite the banned charters to Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, Russia is among the most relevant markets for Egypt, and may return to the top position.
The WTTC report said tourism generated $29.6 billion in Egypt in 2018, the most significant amount since pre-revolutionary 2010. Despite the problems, Russia is not among the leading suppliers of tourists to Egypt. Now Germany ranks first in the number of tourists in Egypt, with a share of 13% in the inbound tourist flow. Russia - second place and 12%, Britain third (7%), Saudi Arabia (6%) and Italy (3%) are in fourth and fifth place respectively.
According to information: tourprom