‘Masr Qareeba’ for Arab tourists

Since early 2015, efforts by the Egyptian Ministry ofTourism and the Egyptian Tourism Authority (ETA) to revive tourism to the country continues to be reflected in the sustained growth of visitors to Egypt.

The number of visitors who travelled to Egypt in May 2015 increased by 16.5 per cent compared to the number of visitors in May 2014. In a similar trend, the number of Arab tourists who visited Egypt in May 2015 also increased by 23.1 per cent compared to the number of Arab tourists in May 2014.

These statistics demonstrate the positive impact of recently launched campaigns that aim to attract more tourists from all over the world to Egypt.This increase in visitors is in line with the objectives of the Ministry of Tourism’s “Masr Qareeba” (Egypt is close) campaign which specifically targets Arab tourists from Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait.

Sami Mahmoud, Chairman, ETA, expressed, “These positive results reflect that Egypt has fans from all over the world, particularly from our Arab neighbors.The steady increase in Arab tourists demonstrates their trust and belief in Egypt’s ability to provide its visitors with opportunities to enjoy the most beautiful touristic destinations.”

Both the Ministry and the Authority are ramping up efforts prior to the launch of their forthcoming global publicity campaign which will focus on cultural tourism in the country. This new campaign aims to promote the importance of Egypt’s cultural destinations among family and youth demographics.

Statistics reflect an increase in the number of Emirati tourists by 48.3 per cent during the first five months of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014. In May 2015, the number of Emirati tourists who visited Egypt increased by 43.5 per cent compared to May 2014.

Statistics also demonstrate an increase in the number of Saudi tourists by 67.2 per cent during the first five months of 2015 compared with the same period last year. In May 2015, the number of Saudi tourists who visited Egypt increased by 58.2 per cent compared to May 2014.

Furthermore, the number of Kuwaiti tourists increased by 48.6 per cent in the first five months of 2015 compared to the same period 2014. In May 2015, the number of Kuwaiti tourists who visited Egypt increased by 74.4 per cent compared to May 2014.

The steady increase in Arab tourists demonstrates their trust and belief in Egypt’s ability to provide its visitors with opportunities to enjoy the most beautiful touristic destinations

Sami Mahmoud

Chairman, ETA