More than 2 million Russians visited the tourist cities through the end of September 2015
Russians accounted for 32% of arrivals to the Egyptian destination in 2014
The fastest country to lift its travel ban on Egypt after the January 2011 revolution
Beach tourism is their main demand... the winter season is peak booking time... and Hurghada is their top city
Russia holds undisputed first place, leading tourist arrivals to Egypt and sitting atop the list of the top 10 source markets for several consecutive years starting from 2010, the peak year. In the first nine months of this year, more than 2 million Russian tourists arrived, a decrease of 10% compared with the same period of 2014. They spent more than 23 million tourist nights, with an average stay in Egypt of between 10 days and two weeks, making them among the longest-staying tourists, according to data that Travel Yalla previously published exclusively.
However, it recorded a sharp decline of 29% in September, with about 217,000 tourists arriving, compared with 305,000 Russians in the same month of 2014.
Russians accounted for 28% of total tourist arrivals to Egypt from January to September 2015, which reached 7.4 million tourists from all countries of the world, and they represent 37% of the European tourists in Egypt, who numbered 5.5 million from across the continent. Europe accounts for 74% of total tourist arrivals to Egypt.
According to statistics for the whole of last year, 2014, Russians accounted for 32% of tourist arrivals to Egypt from around the world, and 41% of those from Europe alone, making them the largest and most active tourism force in the Egyptian tourist destination.
The focus on Russian tourism therefore comes because it is the most effective and the quickest to respond with a return of traffic in large numbers, and it is the market that supports the Egyptian tourism sector during crises.
Beaches: The Russians' Destination
Russian tourists are among the nationalities most keen on visiting Egypt and most attached to it, even in times of crisis, and they are drawn primarily to beach tourism. Russian tourists are one of the main markets in Hurghada, accounting for more than 50% of the traffic in the city, which is their top destination and has opened the way for thousands of Russians to work in its resorts and hotels, followed in demand by Sharm El-Sheikh. However, they are considered low-spending tourists because they rely on the entertainment inside the resorts, with no need to spend outside them.
Day trips are the main option in Russians' visit programs to Egypt, most of them heading to the Pyramids archaeological area and some to Luxor, given its proximity to Hurghada.
A Record Number of Russian Tourists in 2014
Russians set a record in the number of tourists arriving in Egypt in 2014, surpassing the peak year of 2010, with about 3.2 million tourists, a big increase of 31% over 2013, spending about 35 million tourist nights.
This achievement came despite the crisis that hit the Russian economy at the beginning of July of the same year, whose effects continue to this day, following the conflict with Ukraine over the Crimean Peninsula, which resulted in a political and economic boycott of Russia by the European Union. The Russian ruble also collapsed against the dollar, with the dollar's exchange rate doubling against the ruble.
In the peak year of 2010, Russia began firmly holding on to first place, leading arrivals to Egypt with 2.8 million Russian tourists, who spent about 25 million tourist nights.
The January Revolution and the Swift Lifting of the Ban in 2011
Like all tourism markets, Russian tourism to Egypt was affected by the events of the January 2011 revolution, recording 1.8 million Russian tourists by the end of the year, a sharp decrease of 36% compared with 2010. They spent 1.4 million tourist nights, and their average stay in Egypt also fell.
Although all countries imposed bans on their nationals traveling to Egypt due to the developing security situation after the revolution, Russia was the first and fastest country to decide to lift this ban, at the end of March 2011, after the Ministry of Tourism, in cooperation with the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, succeeded in persuading the Russian authorities to agree to lift the ban. Egypt took part in the Intourmarket tourism exhibition in Moscow to affirm its presence and the safety of its tourist destinations and their distance from the center of events, which led to the gradual return of Russian tourism to Egypt.
2012 then came to heal the ills of Russian tourism, which returned strongly with 2.5 million tourists, an increase of 37% compared with 2011, spending 24 million tourist nights.
September 2013: A Setback for Russian Tourism
However, the Russians could not hold out against the events and the development of the political and security scene in Egypt after the June 2013 revolution, recording the worst turnout in the history of Russian tourism to Egypt, with only about 27,000 Russian tourists arriving, a decline of about 90% from September 2012.
Tourism Exhibitions in Russia
Egypt is keen every year to take part in the main international tourism exhibitions held in Russia during March, which marks the starting signal for contracts and is an important indicator of Russian tourism to Egypt. These exhibitions are held in the capital, Moscow: the first is the Moscow International Tourism Exhibition, Intourmarket, from March 12 to 15, and the second is MITT, from March 21 to 24 of the same month.
A table showing the development of Russian tourist arrivals to Egypt since the peak year of 2010:
Year | Number of Russian tourists |
|---|---|
2010 | 2,855,723 |
2011 | 1,832,388 |
2012 | 2,518,275 |
2013 | 2,393,908 |
2014 | 3,138,958 |
January to September 2015 | 2,052,373 |
