Egypt aims to get infrastructure improvements back on track

After three years of neglect, Egypt’s tourism infrastructure is going to have to rush to play catch-up to prepare for the large numbers of travelers it hopes to attract anew.

“I have to admit that the investment to refurbish or renovate that should have been taking place over the past three years was stopped,” Egyptian Tourism Minister Hisham Zazou said in an interview in his Cairo office.

For example, the Nile Ritz-Carlton in Cairo, a 431-room property in Tahrir Square that was formerly the Nile Hilton, was originally slated to open in 2013 following a full renovation. It is still not in operation and is listed on the Ritz-Carlton website under “future openings” with no precise date.

The Mena House Hotel at the foot of pyramids is being managed by the Egyptian government and is awaiting a private-sector management contract as it undergoes renovations.

Despite delays due to lack of investments, Zazou said he was confident that Egypt’s tourism industry is turning around, that money is flowing back in and that the industry will again be ready for large numbers of tourists.