Egypt to launch campaign to attract UK visitors
The Egyptian State Tourist Authority is to launch a new UK campaign to capitalise on renewed and growing interest in the destination.
With summer over and travellers on the hunt for winter sun bargains, the campaign is timed to coincide with the optimum period for Egypt to remind travellers of its year-round, summer-like conditions. UK visitation to Egypt rose by more than 25 per cent in the first six months of 2017, with travellers discovering the many other popular locations that Egypt offers. Overall visitation from all markets leapt by more than 50 per cent year-on-year.
Amr El Ezabi, director UK & Ireland for the Egyptian State Tourist Authority, said: “Immersion in unparalleled history has of course always been at the core of our brand, but Egypt is also a sun-drenched oasis twelve months of the year.
“Few places can offer such a harmonious combination of ancient history and modern luxury.”
Airlines including EasyJet, Thomas Cook and Tui still operate regular flights from most British cities to popular holiday spots across Egypt. All three fly to Hurghada, while airlift to the up-and-coming Marsa Alam resort town is about to increase with Thomas Cook launching flights from London Gatwick and Birmingham before Christmas, joining the current Tui service from London Gatwick.
With Brexit likely to cause a weakened British pound for some time, Egypt offers outstanding value and was named the second most price-competitive destination in the world in the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017. With a recent ONS report showing Brits are abandoning fortnightly holidays for week-long, mid-haul destinations instead, year-round destinations such as Egypt have an opportunity to fill those demands.
“There are destinations that claim to offer winter sun but actually just offer weather that allows you to wear shorts in the colder months,” added El Ezabi. “Egypt offers actual beach weather even in the middle of winter and all less than six hours away from the UK.”
Comprising an outdoor campaign and digital channels with a PR and media hosting programme by Rooster PR, the new campaign will be unveiled at the start of 2018. It will primarily showcase the beachfront city of Hurghada with its bustling markets, buzzing nightlife and glamorous, yacht-lined marinas alongside world-class resorts, restaurants and boutiques.
For those seeking a little more isolation, Hurghada is bordered to the north and south by resort bays such as El Gouna, Sahl Hashish, Makadi Bay and Soma Bay that offer private beaches and an array of water sports and activities – not to mention arguably the world’s best snorkelling and diving.
The fast-growing Marsa Alam on the south western shore of the Red Sea will also feature, with a slew of new accommodation openings and the upcoming UK flight launches making this resort town increasingly attractive. Marsa Alam offers a similar array of sand and sea experiences in a more remote, untouched location ideal for desert safaris, snorkelling and swimming with dolphins, though still within a few hours’ drive of the ancient city of Luxor for those that want to take in some history.
For more information on travelling in Egypt, visit http://www.egypt.travel/
• RCI has 35 resorts in Egypt.
You can watch the This Is Egypt video below.
