Eight-month total still up, with Saudi Arabia in the lead
In an unusual turn, the latest statistics on inbound tourism to Egypt brought a surprise: the number of Arab tourists fell 12% last August to about 172,000, who spent 2.1 million tourist nights, compared with 195,000 Arab tourists in August 2014.
The decline is attributed to escalating tension and wars across the Arab region, which have shifted from internal conflicts to military coalitions of Gulf armies, still engaged in Yemen since last March. This has posed a major challenge to tourism promotion efforts in the Gulf states, and it coincided with the launch of the "Egypt Is Near" campaign targeting Gulf tourists, who typically visit Egypt during the summer months.
Still, the total number of Arab tourists from January to August 2015 gives cause for optimism at 1.2 million, up 13%. That increase was driven by the second quarter (April–June), when Arab arrivals reached about 440,000, the highest quarterly figure, ahead of the first quarter. The third quarter will not match it, judging by July and August, which together recorded 354,000 Arab tourists, since September marks the start of the school year and the usual seasonal dip in Arab visitors.
Total inbound tourism last August reached 915,213 tourists, of whom Arab tourists made up about 19%.
Saudi Arabia always on top
Saudi Arabia topped the list with 39,491 tourists, ranking first among Arab source markets despite a 23.7% drop compared with August 2014. Over the first eight months of the year, Saudi arrivals rose 34.6% to 288,710, making the Kingdom Egypt's fourth-largest source market overall for the first time, ahead of Ukraine and Italy.
Oman and Bahrain post the highest growth
Meanwhile, Oman recorded the largest increase in arrivals to Egypt last August, up 90.4% on August 2014, even though it sends the fewest tourists of all the Gulf states, with 2,214 Omani tourists in August and 10,677 over the eight months.
Bahrain posted the highest growth rate for January–August 2015, up 53.6% on the same period last year at 17,262 tourists. Last August alone, it recorded 4,208 tourists, up 89.3% on August 2014.
Top Arab source markets for tourism to Egypt, January–August 2015:
Country | Tourists | Change vs. same period of 2014 |
|---|---|---|
Saudi Arabia | 288,710 | +34.6% |
Jordan | 114,699 | -1.6% |
Libya | 180,268 | +31% |
Kuwait | 97,398 | +32.4% |
Lebanon | 51,290 | +31.7% |
Yemen | 41,981 | -39% |
Iraq | 30,622 | +1% |
UAE | 30,130 | +51% |
Bahrain | 17,262 | +53.6% |
Oman | 10,677 | +49.2% |
Morocco | 21,065 | +6% |
Algeria | 19,678 | -3.5% |
Tunisia | 19,508 | +18.4% |
