Russian tourists spend an average of $50 a day... and stay 10 nights
By Akram Medhat, Travel Yalla journalist
No one expected Egyptian tourism to witness a complete halt in the arrival of Russian tourists, who have the largest presence in the beach cities of the Red Sea and South Sinai compared with other markets and who lead tourist arrivals to Egypt without rival. According to a report prepared by Travel Yalla on Egypt's expected losses from the suspension of flights from Russia, which will lead to a complete halt in arrivals, this will contribute to a decline in tourism revenues of about $255 million during November and December, especially since this is their peak season.
The estimates of these certain losses came after senior officials in the Russian government recently affirmed that it is too early to talk about lifting the flight ban or setting a date for it, confirming that the direct arrival of even a single Russian tourist in Egypt is almost impossible.
November: The Peak and the Biggest Loss
Based on statistics for tourist arrivals from Russia in November 2014, we can estimate the losses, or the tourist traffic that had been expected for Egypt: 310,000 Russian tourists arrived, spending 4.8 million tourist nights. November is the Russians' peak season, as the snowy winter begins there, prompting them to escape to their favorite, indeed only suitable, destination for that period, which is Egypt. By comparison, about 250,000 Russian tourists arrived in November 2013, indicating that their numbers were growing at high rates despite Russia being hit by an economic crisis and the collapse of its currency, the ruble, against the U.S. dollar since July 2014.
Based on an expected estimate using these numbers, the average spending of a Russian tourist in Egypt of $50 per night, including all-inclusive hotel accommodation and internal transfers but excluding flight costs, and an average stay of 10 nights, the total estimated losses come to approximately $155 million in November alone.
December: A Lull That Ends in a Rebound
Although December has the Christmas holidays and then New Year's, through the first week of January, it sees a lull in Russian tourism during the first three weeks of the month, until traffic rebounds strongly with trip programs in the last week of the year extending into the first half of January.
According to last year's statistics, the lost gains from Russian tourism in December, which marks the end of their peak season, can be estimated: 200,000 Russian tourists arrived, spending 2.8 million tourist nights, compared with 227,000 Russians in December 2013. Accordingly, this month's losses are estimated at about $100 million.
