Infrastructure needed to support Egypt’s tourism ambitions

Regional and international hotel operators are keen to expand in Egypt, but the country needs to improve infrastructure such as airports to support its tourism ambitions, industry sources have said.

Egypt aims to emulate the high-end hospitality and entertainment development that the UAE and other Gulf countries have pioneered, at the same time bringing in more upmarket visitors to its world-renowned historic attractions.

This presents a set of unique challenges. Egypt must preserve its role as guardian to the Pyramids, the Sphinx and many other ancient sites along the Nile River, while embracing more modern infrastructure and leisure-focused coastal development.

Meanwhile, amid the region’s escalating geopolitical tensions and the continuing consequences of the Suez Canal shipping crisis, Saudi Arabia, just across the Red Sea, is seeking to replicate the Dubai-inspired model on a massive scale.

As the uncertainty continues, regional and international hotel operators said that they are all very keen to enhance their footprint in Egypt.

“We recently expanded the team to be able to focus more on Egypt in addition to other parts of the region,” says Elie Milky, vice-president for development at the Radisson Hotel Group.

Radisson has properties in Cairo, Qusair (on the Red Sea) and Alexandria and is looking at development opportunities along the Mediterranean coast and in Cairo, New Cairo and the Red Sea. 

Milky says that abundant hospitality supply in the pipeline in Egypt and around Mena will help create a more inviting regional tourism ecosystem and lift all individual markets, even if it ramps up competition for visitors. 

Talking at the Future Hospitality Summit in Dubai last week, Milky said: “I believe the rise of Saudi Arabia has woken up many neighbouring countries to develop and relaunch their tourism strategies.