Invest in Tourism: Destination Egypt
Invest in Tourism: Destination Egypt
Invest in Tourism: Destination Egypt
DESTINATION EGYPT
Invest in Tourism
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Invest in Egypt Tourism
QUICK FACTS
Quick Facts
Egypt’s city of Luxor proudly hosts one third of the world’s antiquities.
Egypt’s diverse tourism cluster is the largest in North Africa and has
attracted globally renewed investors for well over a century.
Egypt received some 9 million tourists during 2014.
Egypt is targeting inflows of 14 million tourists annually in the near future.
Egypt is emerging as the regional hub for health, religious and eco-tourism.
Egypt tourism cluster is a key beneficiary of the multi-billion dollar planned
investment in supporting infrastructure.
Egypt offers a unique talent pool with high readiness to support expansions
in tourism-related investments.
Egypt is aggressively targeting to increase the contribution of tourism to GDP
beyond the current share of 3.2%.
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Invest in Egypt Tourism
SOCIOECONOMIC
IMPORTANCE
Tourism is the driving force of economic development. Translated into
figures, the sector makes up about 40% of the total services exports,
thus exceeding all revenue sector earned by the services. It also
provides 19.3% of foreign exchange, and about 7% of GDP, which
increases to 11.3% by adding the indirect contributions of the travel
and tourism-related services such as restaurants and hotels (3.5%).
Moreover, there are up to 70 other feeder industries catering to
tourism, the country's most important employment-generating sector
(employing 12.6% of Egypt's entire labor force).
Several elements have combined to put tourism at the top of the list of
the country's currency-earning industries. Egypt boasts a unique
nature, which gives it a competitive advantage on the world tourist
map. The Egyptian civilization is also one of oldest known to mankind.
Egypt exerts every effort possible to diversify its modes of tourism and
to introduce new types of tourism that cater to the taste of the various
tourists.
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Invest in Egypt Tourism
Large Domestic Market Recent growth trends have seen Burgeoning upper and
an increase not only in the middle classes provide a
number of foreign visitors, but stable tourism base and
also the number of Egyptian promote internal
nationals traveling within the investment.
country.
COMPETITIVE STRENGTH
Core Areas for Investment: Hotels, residential tourism, therapeutic tours, nature/desert
safari, eco-tourism adventures, medical/health tourism
Natural Variety and Climate: The diverse nature of Egypt’s terrain, which includes
beaches, oases, world-famous deserts, mountains, both the Mediterranean and Red seas
(with a coastline that resembles that of Southern Italy and Spain) and the Nile River Valley,
creates a significant draw. The country’s mild climate allows for tourism 12 months out of
the year — and makes it a particularly popular winter destination for tourists from cold-
weather locales including Russia and Northern Europe.
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Labor Force: Egypt has a large and educated labor force. Annually, more than 22,000
students graduate from Egyptian universities with European language skills, including
English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Many of these students have studied their
second language since primary school. Further, the Egyptian accent is neutral and easy to
understand.
Government Support: Significant government backing for a sector that should expand to
25 million arrivals by 2020.
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MARKET STRUCTURE
Under construction
Egypt’s economic structure is one of the most developed and diversified
among the African and Middle East countries. It has a large industry
sector, an essential primary sector and a fast evolving service sector.
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2020
OUTLOOK
DYNAMIC AND VIBRANT GROWTH PROSPECTS
Industry analysts are generally projecting an increase in the number of tourist arrivals, as
well as in the average duration of stay. The much anticipated recovery in the sector, is
expected to catalyze revenue levels generated from the country’s dynamic tourism cluster.
Egypt’s tourism sector holds promising prospects to grow well beyond its current share of
3.2% of GDP (EGP 48.8 billion in FY 2012/2013). In tandem with a relatively significant
hotel development pipeline in Egypt, tourism receipts are expected to reach USD 5.49
billion in 2015, as the sector continues its recovery from the challenges of recent years.
Private investments in the tourism sector are projected to reach USD 14.6 billion, while the
government is also planning to inject additional investments in the sector in the range of
USD 4.4 billion. Aggressive investments in the tourism sector are in support of the
ambitious target set by the Ministry of Tourism to achieve 300,000 rooms by the year 2020,
to accommodate the projected 14 million tourist arrivals.
TOURISM-BOOSTING INFRASTRUCTURE
In 2014, the government earmarked some USD 136 million in tourism-related
infrastructure investments. A wide spectrum of infrastructure projects, supporting the
tourism sector nationwide, have also been underway as well as planned for the immediate
future.
A New Courniche for Mersa Matrouh: New planned investment will target the port of “Mersa
Matruh”, as a major tourist resort on the Mediterranean coast (northern borders of Egypt).
The Ministry of Tourism is financing a new project to build a courniche, with an expected
20,000 jobs to be created.
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Invest in Egypt Tourism
roads, is expected to boost tourism in the governorate as well as cater to investors in the
“Al-Minya” industrial zone.
A New Passenger Terminal in Borg Al-Arab Airport: In 2014, Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) offered EGP 1.2 billion (USD 167.7 million) as a soft loan to the Egyptian
Airports Company (EAC), for the construction of a new passenger terminal in Egypt's Borg
Al-Arab Airport. The terminal, which will have an annual capacity of 4.5 million passengers,
will cover 36,000m2 and will comprise 16 customs counters, 40 check-in counters, 20
aircraft parking spots, four arrival halls and five departure halls. The terminal will use solar
energy to make Borg Al-Arab the first environmentally-friendly airport in Egypt.
The New Cairo-Alexandria High-speed Railway: Egypt is undertaking more efforts to develop
the domestic rail infrastructure. Although the primary purpose of this investment is to
improve passenger and cargo services to local residents, improved rail infrastructure will
also boost internal-tourism flows. The proposed project of the Cairo-Alexandria high-speed
railway will lead to an increase in the two-way passenger flow between the two largest
cities in Egypt.
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KEY PERFORMANCE
INDICATORS
According to CAPMAS (Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics) in 2014
the tourists share recorded:
Arab tourists : 16.4%
Europe tourists: 76.7%
American tourists: 2.5%
Others: 4.4%
GAFI’s database in Jan 2015, investment in tourism sector reached 121.2 billion dollars
coming from 7109 company, where the Egyptian investment reached 100.5 billion
dollars, while the Arab investment reached 11 million dollars, and 9.7 billion dollars for
the foreign investors.
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Invest in Egypt Tourism
Beyond Egypt’s long and varied history, rich cultural heritage and unique geographic
features, the country’s pristine Mediterranean and Red Sea coastal lines and all year-round
sunshine, make it a popular destination for tourists throughout the year.
Among the highly promising niche areas for investment in Egypt’s tourism cluster, is
residential tourism, therapeutic tours, nature and desert safaris, eco-tourism, and
adventures travel. While leisure tourism remains to be the largest market segment, business
and conference tourism is prominently on the rise. Egypt is also a popular destination for
religious tourism, to Christians and Muslims alike. Cairo is forcefully expanding its status as
the leading healthcare-hub of the region, with a high rising influx of health-tourism from the
Middle East and beyond.
While Egypt is well-served by global and local five-star hotel chains, there is considerable
scope for investment in the three-to-four star hospitality segments to cater to the projected
increase in the number of tourists visiting the country.
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Invest in Egypt Tourism
MILLION
Middle East 80
16% 60
Europe 40
Americas 20
79% 0
200 200 200 200 200 201 201 201 201 201
Other
5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4
Nights 85.17 89.3 111.5129.2126.5147.4114.2 29.1 9.5 51.9
Egypt’s tourism sector has been consitently targeting new Eastern European markets, with
a good response from Eastern Europeans visiting Egypt. “Russia remains the largest source
market for inbound arrivals in Egypt, with 1.7mn forecast to arrive from Russia in 2015.
Furthermore, the Egyptian government cancelled visa costs for Russian tourists in order to
encourage an increase in visitors from Russia, Western Europeans tourists such as Germany
and UK is expected to increase with a forecast of 34% in inbound arrivals from the UK
between 2015 and 2019, We further note increasing inbound travel from Poland, which will
become a key source market over the next few years, reaching 551,330 in 2019 Polish
Government has recently lifted a travel restriction to the South Senai region .Several other
European countries - including, France and Spain, have also lifted their travel advisories,
which should boost tourism numbers as we move into 2015” (Busniess Monistro
Interntayion, Q1, 2015).
Egypt is also continuing the efforts to attract a larger number of Arab tourists, whereby in
2014, the Ministry of Tourism launched the successful marketing campaign 'Wahashtona'
(We Miss You). The campaign focused on potential Arab tourists from the United Arab
Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Marketing effort has been backed with the release of
special offers and competitively priced holiday packages targeting tourists from the Gulf
Cooperation Council member states. The marketing push has been highly successful, as
reported by Arab News.
Occupancy rates have increased rapidly over recent months, particularly during the holiday
periods. In Alexandria, occupancy rates stood at 100% during the Eid al-Adha holiday, while
the Red Sea and South Sinai registered occupancy rates in the 95- 100% range. Hotels in
western Cairo (near to the Pyramids) have seen occupancy rates well over 70%, while
Marsa Alam registered 90% (in October 2014).
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While Cairo, Aswan and Alexandria have maintained their traditional supremacy as key
touristic hubs, Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada are emerging as two highly visible and
attractive touristic destinations.
The Tourism sector in that 2015 can mark the start of a turnaround in the overall value of
Egypt's hotel and restaurant industry. For 2 0 15, we feel the industry's value will increase
by 14.5% over 2014, to USD2 .4bn, as tourists s tart to return to the country.
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Invest in Egypt Tourism
SUCCESS STORIES
Currently, the Group manages six operating destinations: El Gouna, the flagship project on
the Red Sea Coast in Egypt, Taba Heights in the Sinai Peninsula, Haram City, a budget
housing town on the outskirts of Cairo
Furthermore the Group has eight destinations under development including Amoun Island,
Fayoum, Makadi and Qena Gardens in Egypt
The group operates a total of 29 hotels with 6,654 rooms and controls a land bank of
approximately 105.8 million m².
Travco Group,
Egypt's leading travel and Tourism Empire - a success story thirty years in the making.
Travco's monumental journey began three decades ago. Over the years, Travco has grown
into a travel, tourism and hospitality empire offering a multitude of facilities and services
across Egypt and the Middle East. The group's strong presence owes itself to a history of
service excellence, a far-reaching network of partners, forward-thinking vision and a global
business outlook.
Today, the group owns and operates the country's largest fleet of Nile cruise ships; an
extensive collection of hotels and resorts; mega-real estate developments offering high-end
summer residences and resort experiences; and a myriad of ground, sea and air
transportation services.
Having reached the climax of success in the domestic travel market, Travco now looks
towards the region and the world. The strategy for the years to come will continue to build
around extending the reach of the group's network of products and services as well as
establishing a strong presence in the world's travel, tourism and hospitality market. In
short, the group's pioneer spirit of constantly developing new destinations and offering a
diverse range of services will continue on well into the future.
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Invest in Egypt Tourism
Emeco,
Emeco Travel is a leading travel company in Egypt, offering comprehensive travel services
to individuals, groups, and corporations. In the 35 years since its inception, Emeco
established itself as a pioneer in introducing incentive travel to the region. Since then it has
expanded to become the premier travel organization and Destination Management
Corporation in Egypt.
Emeco is revolutionizing the Egyptian travel and tourism industry, the company aims to
provide world-class services and outstanding value for money, backed by the experienced
staff and high-technology infrastructure.
Belongs to the Egyptian government through 100% ownership by the Holding Company for
Tourism, Hotels & Cinemas (HOTAC). Among the company’s hotel business are branded
international establishments such as Marriott, Oberoi Hotels, Sofitel and Mercure. In Q311,
EGOTH property included 14 hotels throughout the country (Luxor, Cairo, Giza, Alexandria
and the Red Sea) and one Nile cruiser. The group’s hotel capacity amounts to approximately
3,750 rooms. The company shares in 18 joint ventures operating in the fields of tourism,
hotels and tourist development. EGOTH also owns plots of land at prime locations in Cairo,
Luxor and Hurghada, allocated for hotel and tourism development projects.
Established in 1991, Golden Pyramids Plaza SAE is an Egypt-based company engaged in the
fields of entertainment and hospitality facilities management. The Company operates
through managing CityStars Heliopolis Cairo entertainment complex, which is situated in
Nasr City, and consists of three international hotels, namely InterContinental Cairo
Citystars, Holiday Inn Cairo Citystars and Staybridge Hotel; shopping and entertainment
centers; office buildings; residential towers, and a medical center.
Misr Travel
Established in 1934 by the great Egyptian economist Talaat Harb, to be first and oldest
travel company in Egypt and the Middle East. Throughout that period Misr Travel has been
managed by a long line of influential economists and politicians.
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Invest in Egypt Tourism
Misr Travel is recognized, world-wide, as the most important leading travel company in
Egypt. Offering a full service Destination Management Company specialized in inbound to
Egypt as well as Outbound to any worldwide destination. As well as assisting with any
request, to ensure that both a comfortable and memorable stay is secured for all guests.
Incorporated in 1995, Remco for Tourism Villages Construction Company (RTVC) is the
flagship of the Remco Group of Companies ( REMCO ). RTVC has been a publicly traded
company on the Egyptian Stock Exchange since 1998 and its current paid-up capital exceeds
LE 2.3 billion.
REMCO Group:
Incorporated in 1995, Remco for Tourism Villages Construction Company (RTVC) is the
flagship of the Remco Group of Companies (REMCO). RTVC has been a publicly traded
company on the Egyptian Stock Exchange since 1998 and its current paid-up capital exceeds
LE 2.3 billion.
RTVC owns:
The eight companies form Remco Group ( REMCO ) whose portfolio of projects is well
diversified and includes resort complexes that usually comprise hotels, commercial areas
and housing units as well as residential complexes.
REMCO acquires plots of land, designs the development, sells individual units and retains
ownership of public areas such as hotels, landscaped areas, beaches and communal
swimming pools, roads, water and sewage treatment plants.
REMCO maintains and safeguards the development after delivery of the units to their
owners. Its projects are located in the Greater Cairo area, on the North Coast of Egypt and
on the Red Sea Coast.
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TOURISM DESTINATIONS
Beaches and Resorts: Celebrated for its year-long sunny weather, Egypt also boasts a
vibrant undersea life, with the closest coral reefs to Europe located off the Sinai Peninsula in
the Red Sea. The North Coast attracts both Arab and European tourists with an environment
resembling Southern Italy and Spain. From the resort towns along the Red Sea coastline to
diving and snorkeling excursions off the shores of the Gulf of Aqaba, Egypt provides tourists
a unique selection of vacation destinations.
Historical Sites: The remnants of Egypt’s long and varied past can still be visited today
along the banks of the Nile River, from Upper Egypt at Abu Simbel near the Sudanese
border, through the Greater Cairo Area and on to Alexandria. Sites in Upper Egypt, including
Abu Simbel, Aswan and Luxor, serve as links to Egypt’s Pharaonic past. In Greater Cairo,
tourists may visit Egypt’s most iconic destination: the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. A
new Grand Egyptian Museum on the Giza Plateau will soon house some of Egypt’s top
treasures of antiquities, allowing the Egyptian Museum in Downtown Cairo to showcase
some of the hundreds of thousands of valuable pieces that are not currently on display.
Roman ruins in the northern port city of Alexandria are reminiscent of Egypt’s diverse back-
ground. Medieval architecture is visible throughout Cairo, and Khan El-Khalili is one of the
world’s oldest outdoor bazaars. Excavation sites throughout the country continue to
uncover clues to Egypt’s rich heritage.
Religious Sites: Religious tourism has steadily increased over the past several years. One of
the most popular destinations is St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai, the site of the
Biblical burning bush. Tourists can also trace the route of the Holy Family in Egypt. The
Saint Virgin Monastery was built close to a cave where it is believed the Holy Family
stopped. Monks still organize daily visits to the cave and celebrations near the site. Back in
the capital, tourists can visit Coptic Cairo, where they can visit some of Egypt’s oldest
Christian and Muslim religious sites, including the Hanging Church. The capital city is also
home to important mosques dating to the earliest days of the Umayyid period (661-750 CE).
Eco Sites: Egypt has striking natural sites in addition to sunny beaches, including desert
landscapes, oases, canyons and falls. Egypt’s unique Eastern and Western deserts offer some
of the most popular desert safari excursions in the world, while treks through the sands and
mountains of Sinai are a chance to explore wildlife and unique eco sites, including icy lakes
and olive groves. Oases to the west of the Nile offer quiet respites from busy Cairo.
Health and Rejuvenation: Egypt provides the best medical tourism location with the
healthy and natural materials in Safaga and the luxury of restorative oases at Siwa and
Dakhla. Just a few hours from the bustle of Cairo is the relaxing atmosphere of Siwa, where
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rivers and quiet gardens mix with traditional local culture. Surrounded by incredible fruit
plantations and gardens, Dakhla dates back to the time of the Pharaohs. These and other
selected sites in Egypt promote wellness and renewal through therapeutic sand and
mineral-rich water for skin and body care. In a less traditional vein, Egypt has become an
increasingly popular venue for medical tourism, with Arabs and Europeans seeking high-
quality, affordably priced cosmetic and other clinical procedures.
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