Head of the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority: The Czech Republic is among the fastest-growing markets, up 150%
Tour operators confirm: The winter season is promising, especially after the return of direct flights between Prague and Sharm El-Sheikh
By Akram Medhat
Hesham El-Demery, head of the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority, met with a group of tour operators and media representatives during his visit to the Czech Republic, the first by a government tourism official to the Czech Republic in 5 years, as part of following up on the markets that send tourists to Egypt.
During the meeting, El-Demery reviewed the diversity of the Egyptian tourism product, in order to attract Czech tourists to different types of tourism and not only beach tourism, which is the target of 90% of arrivals from the Czech Republic.
He added that the situation of the Czech tourism market and the removal of any obstacles to increasing arrivals from it were discussed, pointing to the tour operators' assurance that the winter season is very promising, especially with the return of direct flights from Prague to Sharm El-Sheikh since last July, after they had been suspended for more than 6 years.
El-Demery said the Czech Republic is one of the promising and fastest-growing markets, as tourist arrivals from it rose by 150% from January to last August compared with the same period of 2016, stressing that if the rate of increase continues at this pace, the number of Czech tourists may reach 2010 levels, which exceeded 200,000 tourists.
He pointed out that the meeting included representatives of two of the largest Czech travel agency associations, which together comprise 500 tourism companies, and that he suggested they contact the Egyptian Tourism Federation to coordinate between the two sides representing the private and investment sectors in both countries, in order to monitor the quality offered to tourists, receive complaints and exchange information between the two markets, stressing that this serves the interest of tourism companies and the tourists themselves.
On another front, El-Demery gave media and television interviews in which he stressed that safety and security procedures have changed around the world over the past three years as a result of the terrorist incidents that have struck many countries. He emphasized that Egyptian airports follow international safety and security standards, pointing to the praise of many institutions specializing in airport security, such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and their testimony to the high standard of Egyptian airports, which comply with international standards for receiving tourists, adding that the return of many countries' airlines to Egypt is the best practical proof of this.
Asked about the incident involving a Czech tourist in Hurghada last summer, El-Demery said it was an isolated incident that could happen anywhere in the world, adding that investigations are still under way and that the Egyptian side is continuously informing the Czech side of the results of the investigations, as confirmed by the Egyptian ambassador in Prague, who said there is full coordination between the two countries on this file.
El-Demery reviewed the government's role in the tourism sector in providing comfort for tourists who come to Egypt so that they enjoy a unique experience that makes them come back, by improving and developing the infrastructure of tourist areas and their surroundings, building road networks, focusing on hotel inspection to ensure they apply quality standards, and paying attention to human development in cooperation with the private sector by training workers, in addition to the credit facilities offered by the Central Bank of Egypt to investors and hotel owners to develop their operations.
