Trip prices start at EGP 830, with accommodation in 3-star hotels and travel by bus
By Akram Medhat, Travel Yalla journalist
Unusually, the Ministry of Tourism, through the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority, has offered the longest stay yet in trip packages for Egyptians to Sharm El-Sheikh, at 8 days/7 nights, as part of the "Sharm El-Sheikh in Our Hearts" initiative, which was launched on November 16 and runs until next April 30. Egyptians' trips to the tourist cities of South Sinai and the Red Sea usually do not exceed 4 days/3 nights.
Prices for these packages start at EGP 830 per person in a triple room at 3-star hotels, with travel by bus, during regular booking periods, which indeed differ from peak seasons and holidays. The highest-priced package reaches EGP 4,080 per person in a single room at "5-star +" hotels, with travel by air at the peak of the holiday season. The Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority subsidizes each package by EGP 500.
The initiative aims to boost domestic tourism to Sharm El-Sheikh, especially in the upcoming holiday season, whether Christmas and New Year or the mid-year school break, and to affirm the safety of Egypt as a tourist destination. This follows the halt of flights from Russia, the main market behind Sharm El-Sheikh's tourism boom, as well as the suspension of British flights, after the Russian passenger plane crash on October 31 in central Sinai, which contributed significantly to the decline in tourist arrivals to the city.
Offering trip packages with longer stays at attractive prices could encourage Egyptians to take advantage of them, while also helping hotels maintain the highest possible occupancy for the longest possible period.
