Sharm El Sheikh has received one of the most notable pieces of positive news heralding further recovery and a strong return of tourist traffic to Egypt: the Spanish government's lifting of its ban on its citizens travelling to the City of Peace. This was preceded by a visit from international footballer Sergio Ramos, captain of the Spanish national team and Real Madrid, at the invitation of Kamel Abou Ali, chairman of Pickalbatros Hotels, to spend a holiday with his family in the Red Sea cities, including Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada and Sahl Hasheesh. He posted his photos on his various social media pages, drawing hundreds of thousands of interactions from users around the world, which was a strong motivator for Spain's positive decision.
Two days ago, the Spanish authorities updated their travel advice for their citizens and announced that Sharm El Sheikh is as safe as Luxor, Aswan and other tourist destinations. This came following a visit by a delegation from the Spanish embassy in Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh last June, during which they inspected the latest security measures taken by the Egyptian authorities, according to statements by a Spanish embassy official to the "Egypt Today" website.
The delegation praised the improvement of infrastructure at tourist destinations, and Spanish airline Iberia is expected to resume its flights to Egypt after years of suspension, as the official said the company has announced the resumption of its direct flights between Egypt and Spain starting March 2, 2020.
Ramos and the Global Promotion of Egypt
The trip of Spanish and international football star Sergio Ramos to Albatros resorts in the Red Sea cities was one of the biggest indirect tourism promotion campaigns for Egypt worldwide, given his football-loving followers. It promoted the beauty and safety of the Egyptian tourist destination, and he expressed his admiration for Egypt and the city of Hurghada. This was one of the motivators for the Spanish government's decision to lift the travel ban on Sharm El Sheikh.
The photos he posted on his personal social media accounts drew hundreds of thousands of interactions, reaching about one million likes on Instagram. They included photos of his arrival and of his honeymoon with his wife on the beaches of Hurghada on the Red Sea, and he posted on his pages how much he enjoyed his time in Hurghada at the Jungle Aqua Park resort, part of the Pickalbatros group, as well as celebrating his sister's birthday at the Albatros Citadel resort in Sahl Hasheesh.
Spanish Tourism in Egypt
Spain is one of Egypt's important tourism markets, focusing primarily on cultural tourism in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, followed by beach tourism in the Red Sea cities.
According to tourism statistics obtained exclusively by "Travel Yalla News", Spanish tourism to Egypt recorded 20,000 tourists in the first quarter of 2019, up 86% compared with the same period last year, who spent 180,000 tourist nights, an increase of 102%.
2018 saw a noticeable recovery in the flow of Spanish tourists to Egypt, as they recorded about 66,000 tourists, up 81% compared with 2017, and spent 570,000 tourist nights.
