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The African country with the most new branded hotels

With many countries still advising against travel to the Sinai Peninsula and Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt’s tourism continues to recover from the effects of terrorism and internal politics.

“Most tourists would support a country hurt by a terror attack,” says Hotel Partners Africa’s Harper, “but are less quick to return if it’s a domestic dispute. What Egypt needs is a period of stability.” 

Kevin Toolis, Guardian newspaper terrorism expert and BAFTA-winning producer of films about North African terrorism, says “systemic economic problems, corruption and political instability prevent tourism investment. The threat is much more difficult to deal with than terrorism itself. Although isolated incidents still exist, I believe the high point of Islamic terrorism has passed and deliberate acts against Westerners have diminished with ISIS’ defeat. So overall, things are more positive.”

The Hilton Heliopolis in Cairo.
The Hilton Heliopolis in Cairo.

Harper says a strong pipeline indicates confidence in Egypt’s resilience, with 43 new branded hotels comprising 13,636 guest rooms, the most of any African?country. STR reports 2018 brought the highest Q1 occupancy since 2010, with?anticipated increases now that flights from Russia have resumed.  

Olivier Harnisch, CEO of Dubai-based Emaar Hospitality Group, says the latest reports indicate this period’s tourism revenues were double those of Q1 2017. He says electronic visas are improving tourist access, which bodes well as Emaar develops its fourth Egyptian property, Al Alamein Hotel. 

Ward stresses the importance of investment incentives in order to create jobs for Egypt’s high rate of population growth, while Langdon says Mövenpick sees increased government provision for tourism, with greater infrastructure investments and support for new North Coast and Sahl Hasheesh destinations.

In 2018 the brand will open Mövenpick Resort El Ein Bay, its second coastal property in El Sokhna. Egypt’s long-term vision includes the creation of additional cities, notably a new administrative capital with an international airport, a theme park larger than Disneyland, over 40,000 hotel rooms and a central business district financed and built by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation.

New Alamein City on the Mediterranean is expected to have 25,000 guest rooms including three new hotels from Marriott, the country’s largest operator. Marriott regional chief Kyriakidis says the company will debut Egypt’s first St. Regis later this year and plans an eco-friendly, extended-stay Element property.

Sharm el-Sheikh will host the country’s second Ritz-Carlton in 2024, and a 1,400-room Four Seasons is scheduled to open Q3 2019. The February 2017 opening of Hilton Heliopolis marked the sixth Cairo property for the brand, which will also open Egypt’s first Waldorf Astoria by year-end.

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