Attracting Spanish tourists - Egypt - Al-Ahram Weekly
Despite the decline in inbound Spanish tourism to Egypt following travel advisories issued in October 2023 in the aftermath of the geopolitical situation surrounding the Gaza conflict, the FITUR 2025 international tourism fair held last week in the Spanish capital Madrid brought a renewed sense of hope.
It provided a crucial platform for Egypt's tourism industry to rebuild trust, reconnect with the Spanish market, and showcase its vast and unmatched diversity in tourism products to a global audience.
Egypt's participation at FITUR 2025 served as a pivotal opportunity to foster partnerships, restore confidence, and position Egypt as a top-tier destination. The event underscored Egypt's readiness to welcome tourists with enhanced safety measures, improved infrastructure, and sustainable tourism initiatives.
The Egyptian pavilion at the fair with its ancient Egyptian temple design highlighted the country's timeless heritage, vibrant culture, and diverse attractions including the Pyramids, Nile cruises, and the pristine Red Sea. It also showed off emerging destinations such as the North Coast and Siwa, while also spotlighting newer tourism segments like eco-tourism and wellness retreats.
Egypt's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathi held discussions with key tour operators, travel agencies, and aviation companies working in the Spanish and Latin American markets at FITUR 2025. These stakeholders said that demand for travel to Egypt is on the rise, not only from Spain but also from the Latin American countries.
They reviewed their plans to increase tourist numbers to Egypt and emphasised the need for collaborative efforts to achieve this goal. They proposed implementing co-marketing campaigns with the Egyptian Tourist Authority (ETA) in targeted markets to promote Egypt's diverse destinations, from ancient landmarks to beach resorts. Additionally, they highlighted the importance of leveraging Egypt's aviation incentive programme, which offers support to low-cost carriers to increase the number of available seats to the country's tourist destinations.
Sebastian Ebel, CEO of the TUI Group, a leading international tour operator, announced the company's ambitious plans to expand its operations and reach untapped markets in the Far East and Latin America. He said that TUI would launch promotional campaigns to attract more tourists from these regions, citing significant demand for Egypt as a travel destination.
He also expressed interest in including Egypt's North Coast and Alamein city in such travel programmes. To explore the potential of these destinations, TUI plans to organise a fact-finding trip to the North Coast and Alamein City to assess what they could offer to its clientele.
Ibrahim Suleiman, CEO of Explora Traveller and Air Cairo, shared the company's strategy to attract between 40,000 and 50,000 tourists this year to Egyptian destinations from Spain and Latin America. And Alberto Gutierrez, CEO of Civitatis, an online travel agency with over 25 million followers, proposed organising familiarisation (FAM) trips in partnership with the ETA.
These trips would allow agents and influencers to experience Egypt firsthand, enhancing promotional efforts in the Latin American countries. Gutierrez also recommended co-marketing campaigns to bolster Egypt's visibility and appeal in these markets.
Carlos Gomez Suare, CEO of Iberia Express, discussed the company's plans to study the feasibility of launching seasonal flights to Luxor and Aswan. He also revealed a potential initiative to establish low-cost flights between Egypt and the Latin American countries, contingent on evaluating costs, returns, and technical requirements.
He stressed the importance of benefiting from Egypt's aviation incentive programme to make these plans viable.
Further emphasising the growing interest in Egypt in different markets, Juan Carlos, CEO of Avoris, a major tour operator, highlighted high demand from Mexico and Colombia. He stated that the company plans to enhance promotional efforts in these markets, ensuring that Egypt remains a top choice for travellers in the region.
Similarly, the CEO of Viajes Carrefour noted the exceptional demand from Spain and Latin America for Egypt as a tourist destination, with daily reservations for trips to Egypt ranging from 150 to 200 during the 13 to 24 January period.
Viajes Carrefour plans to diversify its offerings by incorporating spiritual tourism into its programmes, enabling visitors to explore the Great Transfiguration area at St Catherine's Monastery in Sinai and follow the trail of the Holy Family in Egypt.
In early February, the company will organise a FAM trip for travel agents to experience these unique spiritual destinations firsthand in a step towards starting the promotion of new products.
In a press conference at FITUR 2025, Egypt's minister of tourism and antiquities said that the geopolitical situation in the region had not affected Egypt's tourism figures, as the country had seen a record-breaking achievement in 2024 with 15.75 million tourists, a six per cent rise compared to 2023 and 21 per cent rise on pre-pandemic levels, underscoring a significant recovery in the sector.
'This remarkable growth in tourism was made possible by the security, safety, and stability ensured by Egypt's political leadership, along with strong support for the tourism and antiquities sectors,' he asserted.
He stressed that the ministry's mission was not just to attract visitors to Egypt, but also to ensure sustainable practices that benefit local communities and preserve the country's cultural and natural heritage.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 30 January, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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