Egyptians hope tourists return after winter chill

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Egypt's tourism experienced a lull during winter in contrast to the flocks of Chinese tourists who spent their Spring Festival holiday in the North African country before.

Yet local industry insiders said they have faith in the early return of Chinese tourists to Egypt.

China has the ability to win the battle against the virus in a timely manner, Xinhua News Agency quoted Mostafa Alham, Luxor Governorate's governor, as saying.

Mohamed Othman, chairman of the Cultural Tourism Marketing Committee and deputy to the Tourism Companies Chamber in Upper Egypt, told Xinhua that It was a pity to lose Chinese tourists over the past few months.

"I wish to see Chinese tourists very soon in Egypt after their great country recovers," Othman said.

As the world's largest market for outbound travel, China saw its travelers skyrocket from 4.5 million in 2000 to 150 million in 2018, according to a 2019 World Tourism Organization report.

Annually, the number of Chinese visitors to Egypt has grown by more than 30 percent on average over the past three years, far higher than the overall growth in overseas trips.

Egypt attracts hundreds of thousands of travelers from China every year. After Egypt's travel agencies canceled Chinese travel operators' reservations in several cities and its national airline EgyptAir suspended flights between the two countries in late January, its tourism industry has been badly affected.

Egypt's hotel industry is now trying a new beginning. So far more than 70 hotels have received a health safety certificate required for reopening after they followed guidelines laid out by the Egyptian government and the World Health Organization, Egypt's tourism and antiquities ministry said.

The hotels that received the permission are located in five provinces: the Red Sea; South Sinai; Alexandria; Suez and Cairo, the ministry said.

"The hotels are working with a maximum capacity of 25 percent as an experimental opening until the end of May. Then they are allowed to accommodate guests at a 50-percent capacity starting early June," Alla Aaqel, chairman of the Red Sea Hotels Chamber, told Xinhua in late May.

He added 83 out of 252 hotels in the Red Sea Province applied to get the health certificate, but only 41 met the conditions.

Aaqel said that public beaches will be closed, however, hotels can operate their shores amid strict precautionary measures. Privately-owned boats and yachts are allowed but if owners violate precautions they will lose their license for several months and be fined.

"The move won't compensate the losses caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 for the tourism sector that generated record-high revenues of $13 billion in 2019," Aaqel said.

Reopening hotels will test the tourism industry, he explained, adding that domestic tourism is the "life jacket" for the hotel industry that employs a large number of workers.

By the end of April, the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, in cooperation with the country's Chamber of Hotels, announced rules for safe operation, including preventive measures upon receiving guests, internal supervision of laundry, food and beverages, swimming pools, beaches and gyms.

In Qena Province, south of the capital, the four-star Basma Hotel reopened on May 20. "The hotel has installed sterilization gates and designated a floor for quarantine with resident doctors," said Mokhlis Malak, owner of the hotel.

According to Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, as of mid-June the state will announce a gradual resumption of several activities, including sports clubs and youth centers, and a gradual reopening of places of worship.

The government will also consider a gradual return of dining at restaurants with strict measures later in June, Madbouly said.

Xinhua - China Daily