Egypt Looks to the Future of Tourism

By Evelyn Kanter
Egypt is in the early stages of a massive construction program that could be compared to that of the Pharoahs, except this grand plan is designed in large part to enhance tourism and its central role in the country’s economy. The rebuilding effort includes constructing an additional 220,000 hotel rooms and turning Sharm el-Sheikh into a sustainable ‘green city’. Widespread museum renovations are underway, including the transformation of Luxor into an open air museum and 20 new museum openings in the works to accomodate and showcase the wealth of antiquities that keep Egypt on the ‘bucket list’ of virtually every traveler in the world.
The Ministry of Tourism hopes to bring an additional one million tourists to Egypt each year, and 2010 already proved to be a banner year, with a 12 percent increase in North American visitors through the first 10 months, compared with the same period in 2009. Commenting on the increase, Elsayed Khalifa, director of the Egyptian Tourist Authority in New York City, said, “We have no shortage of traffic. Every year is better than the year before.”

Nurturing Egypt’s ‘City of Peace’
In the coastal resort city and administrative hub of Sharm el-Sheikh, there are currently 32 separate initiatives aiming to protect the region’s fragile eco-system, including Red Sea coral. The resort city is going green as a symbol of the country’s intention to prevent further degradation of the tourism infrastructure, and to highlight its reputation as the “city of peace” where several international peace conferences and summits have been held.
Both new and existing hotels are being required to meet enhanced green standards including grey water, and the government is considering use of zero emission vehicles including electric tour buses to reduce air pollution. Whether these properties, or others elsewhere in Egypt, will be signed up for international eco-hotel rating programs such as Green Globe 21 is not yet definite. Also, additional land is being set aside for parks, all with the goal of transforming Sharm into a global green tourism destination.
“Sharm is to be the green model for Egypt,” says Khalifa. The green initiative may be expanded next to the neighboring Red Sea resort cities of Hurghada and Marsa Alam, since Khalifa admits it is easier to “control the environment in resort cities” than in a sprawling and congested city like Cairo—though here the construction of two new mini-cities of modern high rises, parks and golf courses on the city outskirts, similar to planned communities in Dubai, should relieve some of that congestion. One development is in the section known as 6th of October City, a few miles from Giza, where Hilton Pyramids Golf Resort was recently opened. The other is called New Cairo. Both are one hour from downtown. Fourteen percent of Egypt’s projected new hotel construction is slated for Greater Cairo. According to the New York Times, these new mixed-use residential/commercial subdivisions will house more than four million people by 2020.

New Attractions and Accommodations
First on a long list of initiatives to keep visitor arrivals on the up and up is a massive undertaking that will effectively double Egypt’s hotel capacity by 2015, with more than half of those rooms (approximately 100,000) going up in the resort areas of the Red Sea and South Sinai peninsula, including along the Gulf of Aqaba, between Sharm el-Sheikh and Taba. One such development is the MGM Grand Sharm el-Sheikh, a project of 170 guest villas and other amenities, due to open in mid-2012. MGM also is building a second Egypt resort in the shadow of the Pyramids and the new Grand Egypt Museum, in a new real estate sub-division called New Giza.
Upscale and luxury brands are an important part of the overall hotel initiative, especially in Cairo, including the new Kempinski Cairo, and the Fairmont Nile. That is sure to please operators like FIT Tours (www.fittours.com), who’s Diane Panasci reports an upswing in upgraded bookings for five-star properties like Mina House and the Oberoi Philae Nile cruise ship. Cairo and Alexandria are becoming popular cruise ports, with Princess, Celebrity, Oceania and Azamara often working one or the other into some of their Mediterranean itineraries. Several top hotel chains have full-service spas, including the Four Seasons and JW Marriott in Cairo, and the Movenpick Resort in El Alamein, on the Mediterranean near the border with Libya. Also in Cairo, the InterContinental CityStars includes a spa; this hotel is in a cosmopolitan, popular new development near the airport that includes a sprawling American-style indoor shopping mall and movie theater.
The scheduled completion of the new Grand Egypt Museum at Giza will replace the sprawling Cairo Museum in the congested downtown area. The first galleries of the new museum are scheduled to open in 2012. Architectural renderings show connected buildings of various sizes, all of them dome-shaped rather than pyramids, polka-dotted with windows for an airy, sunlit feel. New museums also are being built in Suez, Port Said and other cities to house the ever-growing number of ancient artifacts being excavated.

‘Indiana’ Hawass and The Missing Tombs
Dr. Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s world-renowned archeologist and minister of antiquities, has been searching for the tombs of Alexander the Great and Cleopatra and Anthony in Alexandria for years. I had the good fortune of interviewing him in his office in Cairo recently, and he said he hopes to have an announcement in 2011. If and when either or both of these tombs are discovered, it will thrust Egypt back into the news. Despite ETA’s international advertising campaigns and coop programs with travel agents and tour operators, Dr. Hawass is Egypt’s most formidable marketing tool, garnering world headlines and another National Geographic or Discovery Channel or Travel Channel documentary with each major archeological find. In 2010, Dr. Hawass announced the discovery of perhaps the largest cache of mummies ever uncovered, the Valley of the Golden Mummies, in the Western Desert near the Baharia oasis. He has been quoted as saying as many as 10,000 mummies may be buried here. These are believed to be noblemen and their families, not kings or queens.
It will take decades to excavate this find, so Egypt has time to shore up the local infrastructure to be ready for the tourists sure to come. Baharia has a few guest houses, but no western-style hotels with amenities like a pool or gym. The local museum is a small, three-room affair that will need to be expanded if it is to be the repository of relics from the Golden Mummies. It is worth visiting now, with several dozen mummies on display that were discovered by accident in 1996. There’s also a tomb directly beneath the old stone building. I climbed down a rickety wooden staircase to see beautiful, still vibrant artwork and hieroglyphics painted on the walls of the chambers.
Recently, Dr. Hawass, sometimes called “Indiana Hawass” for his exploits and the fedora he often wears on digs, made headlines with the announcement that the fabled ‘boy king’ Tut probably died of malaria. And he has successfully negotiated the return of 19 artifacts from Tut’s tomb in the collection of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, once the new Cairo museum is ready to hold them. He also is demanding the return of the bust of Queen Nefertiti from Berlin.

Grand Excavation in the Valley of the Kings
One of the most popular tourist destinations in Egypt is the ancient Valley of the Kings, where the tombs of the fabled King Tut and other pharaohs are located. The government is upgrading the visitor arrival and departure experience by razing the unsightly slum village at the entrance to the tombs, and relocating its occupants to new government housing nearby.
The government also plans to restore the ancient Avenue of the Sphinxes, the mile-plus boulevard between the temples of Luxor and Karnak, to restore it back to its original design. ETA’s Khalifa says there are an unknown number of sphinx statues buried here, similar to the rows of stone lions directly in front of the entrance to Karnak.
The grand plan is to create a broad pedestrian boulevard lined with upscale villas and shops, and perhaps recreate the ancient spring festival that commemorated the annual flooding of the Nile. This final part of the master plan is to be completed in 2030. Within the next few years, however, Egypt is building additional docks at Luxor, to reduce the crowding of Nile River cruise boats, which often are berthed five or six deep along the shoreline.
Egypt also will be marketing other ‘theme’ travel, beyond history, culture and religion, as a destination for golfers, spas, and honeymooners. New products, such as small, 16-passenger versions of the traditional Nile cruise ship, called dahabeyas, are becoming popular for weddings, multi-generation family trips and other reunions, for their exclusivity and leisurely pace. Their small size also allows docking at smaller temples along the Nile that cannot accommodate the full-size floating hotels.
Although ETA does not specifically track religious travel, Khalifa is confident that it is a growing part of tourism to Egypt, for its links to Judaism and Christianity, as well as Islamic treasures. Mount Moses, near Sharm, is the reputed site of the Burning Bush, sacred to Jews and Christians. St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sharm and the so-called Hanging Church in Cairo are important Christian sites. Visitors can follow the path of the Exodus, sites in Egypt that Jesus visited as a child, and sites where members of the family of the prophet Mohammed visited or lived.
There are several monastaries between Cairo and Alexandria, and historic churches and synagogues within the city, including the Coptic monastery of St. Mena, honoring a martyred saint. The city is dotted with Greco-Roman sites, including an impressive ampitheater, and a fashionable seaside community of restaurants and nightlife. The new Alexandria Library is a modern wonder, containing the largest reading space in the world.
In addition to religious travel, Egypt is a focus of multi-country tourism that includes Israel, Jordan and Turkey, by operators including Isram World and Ya’lla Tours. Jerusalem, Petra and Istanbul may not have the Pyramids, but their ancient wonders also are high on travelers’ “must see” lists. “We support any effort that brings more tourists to Egypt,” says Khalifa.

Adventure in the Desert
Adventurers are drawn to the desert expanses, which are as desolate as they are beautiful. Egypt certainly has its share of sweeping sand dunes of the type glorified by Hollywood films. But the western Sand Sea is less accessible than other types of desert, which are just as scenic and haunting in their wild beauty.
The White Desert is a flat, beige-colored plain dotted with wind-swept white rock formations in other-worldly shapes. It adjoins the Black Desert, an area of black mountains of oxidized manganese, with beige sand dunes in between. Both deserts are popular for overnight camping and off-roading in caravans of 4x4 SUVs, mostly vintage Toyota Land Cruisers and Jeeps, which are easier to maintain than modern models loaded with sophisticated computerized controls. My local Bedouin driver was equally skilled at ‘surfing’ the truck over the dunes and rocks as any pro NASCAR driver negotiating the tight turns of a paved racetrack.
Both deserts are about 250 miles southwest of Cairo on excellent roads, accessible from the oasis towns of Baharia or Fayoum. West of Fayoum is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Whale Valley, containing some of the best preserved fossil skeletons of whales anywhere in the world, indicating that the sea of sand we call the Sahara was once covered by a sea of water.

Getting There
Egypt’s stated goal of bringing in an extra million visitors yearly requires partnerships with international airlines. In addition to daily flights between JFK and Cairo by Egyptair, Delta flies daily in season. Continental is scheduled to begin flying between Newark and Cairo five times a week beginning in May 2011, and Egyptair has applied for the Washington, D.C. to Cairo route. Also in 2011, a new air-train linking international and domestic terminals is scheduled to open at the Cairo Airport.
Most visitors fly in and out daily from Aswan or Cairo, usually as an add-on to a Nile Cruise, and therefore miss the “sound and light” show, which conflicts with the last flights out. There also are multi-day cruises on Lake Nasser, between Abu Simbel and the High Dam at Aswan, offering a more leisurely pace than the traditional Nile cruise, dramatic desert scenery and a vast array of shore birds.
The Egyptian Tourist Authority encourages travel agents to become Egypt travel specialists via a free on-line education course with incentives for client leads. Visit them online at www.egypt.travel or check out www.EgyptTravelSpecialist.com to find out more about resources available to you.

Exclusive Interview with Elsayed Khalifa, Director of the Egyptian Tourist Authority, USA & Latin America,

Breaking New Ground

Elsayed Khalifa, Director of the Egyptian Tourist Authority, USA & Latin America, reveals and expands on Egypt’s thrilling new developments and massive vision for the future of tourism.
The Ministry of Tourism is actively engaged in large-scale growth planning with a plethora of new attractions and accommodations for tourists. Can you give us an overview of what’s to come?
Currently South Sinai and the Red Sea make up about 70 percent of Egypt’s hotel capacity. The idea is that within 5 years we will double this capacity with the 212,690 rooms that are under construction. Twenty-eight percent of these are in South Sinai, 27 percent in Red Sea. Our target in the long run is to add one million tourists year on year. This year, if we receive 15 million, we should be looking for 16 million next year. This extra million will require 50,000 rooms, and this is why we have to work in tandem with advertising, promotion and development. This year we were up 17.8% from last year, when we received 12.8 million global visitors. In the American market we were up 12 percent from January-November of last year.
Which markets are you targeting for this projected growth?
The United States is one of the markets where we see great potential. Also Latin America, mainly Brazil, Argentina and Mexico. We can work more on international cruise arrivals. Thousands of cruise lines go out of the States and many of these come to our area and the Mediterranean. The more facilities and services we give to these cruise ships, the more visitors we can draw to Egypt.
What about new attractions? Last year, Dr. Hawass said that many museums were being planned to allow artifacts to be returned to their original locations.
About 20 new museums are being planned, not just in Cairo but in Alexandria, Suez, Port Said, Sohag and different cities that you don't always hear about. This is in addition to two big museums in Cairo, The Civilization Museum and the Grand Egyptian Museum. According to Hawass, who was here in December, the main galleries will be opened within the next few years.
We are also working on a huge project along the 2.5 kilometer Avenue of the Sphinx, joining the Luxor and Karnak temples. In ancient Egypt this avenue was lined with sphinx on both sides and there was a procession to celebrate the flood of the Nile. We plan to recreate this, not just the Avenue, but also the procession, which will be an amazing festival for tourists that will be held in June once the excavation is completed. There is a master plan for Luxor for which funding has been allocated through 2030. Part of the master plan is to build new docking areas for cruise ships so that they are not docking one after the other. Wherever you go in Luxor, it will be as if you are walking in a museum, everywhere you will find something to look at or to enjoy.
How does sustainability factor into all of this projected growth and excavation?
Excavation is always an on-going effort and each time we find something new it adds to what we already have. It is a lot like adding pieces to a puzzle. Part of the initiative to add to our hotel capacity is in response to new findings by Dr. Hawass that are drawing visitors to come and explore new places that are being put on the map.
Sustainability is a major international trend and a practical matter also. In Sharm el-Sheikh, we are looking closely at preserving the natural resources because it is the coral, the aqua life and water sports that our revenue comes from. So keeping good quality water, and respecting the coral and the biological balance of nature is the only way to have sustainable tourism. All cars on the streets of Sharm el-Sheik should be environmentally friendly. There is also the drainage of waste and recycling, be it solid or liquid, and there will be efforts to preserve biodiversity and keep the ecological balance. There are 33 different projects focusing on controlling these elements, to stop the degradation of the environment and build something that will last forever.
What about new tour products to attract return visitors?
Certainly. Egypt cannot be seen in just one visit. One of the things we are focusing on presently is diversifying our products, not just offering Egypt as a cultural destination but also a destination for adventure seekers, golfers andhoneymooners. Especially with the dahabeyas, spas and boutique hotels, Egypt is becoming an increasingly popular place for honeymoons. We have had requests from celebrities for weddings and parties set in or around some of our temples, which is a very special thing you cannot do anywhere else. It carries a cost, of course, but the Ministry of Tourism has granted some of these requests.
What about promoting Egypt in conjunction with other destinations like Jordan and Israel? Also, are you actively promoting religious tourism?
We support any effort to promote tourism to Egypt. We have co-op programs with tour operators who sell packages to Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and even as we speak, we are supporting a trip for priests that are going on a combined trip to Cyprus and Egypt to promote religious tourism.
Egypt is a very rich destination for Jewish, Christian and Islamic sites that are significant to religious travelers. When you go to the burning bush or Mount Sinai, or follow the footsteps of the Exodus or the Prophet Muhammed, all three religions are represented. And what is more important, is that in Old Cairo for example, you can see all three coexisting together within one kilometer. It's very symbolic--if you go to Saint Catherine there is a mosque inside the monastery, and the burning bush next to it. Israel, in fact, is one of our top ten visitor markets. Ya'lla Tours and Isram are two tour operators that combine Egypt and Israel. (www.egypt.travel)

The Enduring Appeal of Egypt

By Evelyn Kanter

Egypt is on just about every traveler’s ‘bucket list,’ but its appeal goes far beyond the must-see Pyramids and Sphinx, Nile cruise, Abu Simbel and the golden mask of the ‘boy king’ Tut in the Cairo Museum. The long-standing fascination with this remarkable country is rooted in history, Biblical connections and miraculous feats of human ingenuity. First-time visitors often want to experience the desert, a camel ride, perhaps a Bedouin camp, and find time to prowl for bargains in the souks. Snorkelers and scuba divers know the treasures that await underwater, in the Red Sea.
Despite the economy, Egypt continues to be so popular a destination that operators like Foreign Independent Tours (fittours.com) are constantly adding new itineraries. “We have 23 different Egypt trips now,” says Marketing Manager Diane Panasci, who notes that ten-day luxury itinerary are top-sellers.

Egypt’s Administrator of Antiquities
Egypt’s best marketing tool continues to be Dr. Zahi Hawass, the renowned archeologist, historian and Minister of Antiquities. Sometimes called “Indiana Hawass” for his grand exploits, he keeps Egypt in the headlines by digging up new artifacts on a regular basis. In October, it was a new statue of Amenhotep III in one of the temples of Luxor and a new tomb of a priest at the Pyramids in Giza. In 2009, it was a major discovery of an entirely new burial site of what could be thousands of mummies in the desert northwest of Baharia, some 400 miles from Cairo. And in between, he announced that the fabled King Tut probably died of malaria.
Currently, Hawass and his team are on a mission to uncover the tomb of Anthony and Cleopatra in Alexandria. Since there is no word ‘if’ in the Hawass vocabulary, when that happens, Egypt will be in world headlines again and travel bookings will increase.
“He keeps interest in Egypt alive,” says Moira Smith, GoWay Travel’s general manager for Africa and the Middle East, who describes Egypt as “the largest open air museum in the world.” She is seeing more clients using Egypt as the core of an extended multi-country trip that includes Petra, Jerusalem and even Istanbul, especially religious groups.

Ramping Up Religious Travel
The Egyptian Tourist Authority (www.egypt.travel) recognizes the importance of religious travel, and plans to market the country’s Christian and Jewish heritage in a new campaign for 2011, according to Mohammed Hegazy in ETA’s New York City office. St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sharm el Sheikh and the so-called Hanging Church in Cairo are two important Christian destinations. The 1200-year-old Ben Ezra Synagogue in Old Cairo, recently refurbished by a member of the Bronfman family, is reputed to have been built on the site where infant Moses was discovered floating in a reed basket in the Nile, and there are several historic synagogues in Alexandria.

‘Golden Boat’ Cruises
Other new products are a small-ship version of the traditional Nile Cruise, a luxury river barge called a dahabeya, with seven or eight cabins and a maximum 16 passengers. The Sonesta Dahabeya Amirat (www.sonesta.com) was introduced last year. It can be purchased by the cabin or bought out for a group. Sonesta spokesperson Lorie Juliano says the Amirat is selling for family reunions, and even weddings. The A&K (www.abercrombiekent.com) dahabeya is named Nile Chateau, and features an on-deck Farouk Suite with panoramic windows. Because of their smaller size, dahabeyas can sail “beyond Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, continuing past some of the most beautiful scenery along the river,” says A&K spokesperson Pamela Lassers. It’s also a longer, more leisurely sail, more like the pace the Pharoahs travelled; six or seven nights, rather than the three- or four-nights of traditional Nile cruiseboats. GoWay Travel’s Smith says another advantage of their four dahabeyas is the ability to stop at smaller sites enroute that cannot accommodate the larger cruisers.

Red Sea Resorts
The Red Sea towns of Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh continue to grow, with new resort hotels opening and existing ones expanding. Lesser known is the resort development at Port Ghalib, less than one hour from Hurghada and less than 15 minutes from the airport at Marsa Alam.
This seaside development includes four hotels, a marina for mega-yachts, a corniche dotted with boutiques, restaurants and nightclubs, and a state-of-the-art conference center with facilities for simultaneous translation. The hotels are clustered around one of the largest man-made saltwater lagoons in the world.
The InterContinental Palace Port Ghalib is a five-star gem with elegant décor, nine restaurants, including an upscale wine bar, and an entrance that resembles a Crusader moat. Two other hotels are family-oriented four stars, the Crowne Plaza Sahara Sands and the Crowne Plaza Sahara Oasis. Both offer a Kid’s Club with supervised activities and a children’s dining room. Guests at either the Sands or Oasis can access facilities and restaurants of both. Also within Port Ghalib is the Marina Lodge, formerly the Coral Beach Marina Lodge.
Part of the difficulty of marketing Port Ghalib, despite its amenities, is that hotels have changed management and names several times since the development opened early in 2008. The upside for travel agents is that room rates and packages tend to be lower and more available than in better known areas along the Red Sea, including day-trips for snorkeling, scuba diving and desert tours by ATV or camel.
FIT Tours’ Panasci is noticing two other Egypt travel trends. One, that travelers are trading up to five-stars like Mina House and the Oberai Philae Nile cruise ship with an on-board spa. The other is a growing interest in what she calls ‘meeting the people’, which includes requests for overnights in a real Bedouin or Nubian home. Both of these demand customized itineraries, and that is good for business.

For further information contact the Egyptian Tourist Authority at 212-332-2570; Fax: 212-956-6439; info@egypttourism.org, www.egypttourism.org

Egypt Beyond the Pyramids

By Lisa Loverro

When selling Egypt, there’s nothing wrong with the traditional sell, the “What is it that you need to check off your bucket list?” Typically, inevitably, the planning revolves around Cairo and its Great Pyramids.
The very mention of Cairo is synonymous with these structures, along with perhaps a trip down the Nile and visit to the Sphinx. But there is another side of Egypt to be explored, and as a travel planner, especially when planning a trip for a repeat visit, don’t be afraid to weed out the familiar sights and send them off the beaten path.
Alexandria
More Mediterranean than Middle Eastern, The “other great city of Egypt,” Alexandria, offers a calm oasis away from the picture-taking tourists who flock to the more recognizable sights. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, the city stood as a beacon of culture and is often referred to as the Pearl of the Middle East.
This year Alexandria was selected to be the Capital of Arab Tourism by the members in the Arab Ministerial Tourism Conference, winning out over twelve other Arab cities that applied for the competition. Alexandria’s summers are flooded with locals from the region as well as tourists basking in the sunshine and high humidity, although the sea breezes help to keep it at a more tolerable level than most other cities. Its famous Lighthouse is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and, although its allure has waned a bit, the city exudes an aura of history and charm. How could it not? After all, it’s the city where Cleopatra charmed her lover, Marc Anthony.
The Royal Library of Alexandria is one of the most extensive in the world (the largest in the ancient world) and with Roman temples and a Greco-Roman Museum, Alexandria still holds onto its ancient ruins roots, but with a modern infrastructure.
Those looking to bask in both luxury and the sun should check into the Raddison Blu Hotel Alexandria (www.raddisonblu.com). For a more historical stay, send them to the downtown region and book them into the Hilton Alexandria Green Plaza (www.hilton.com), a five-star property. Along Corniche Road, which faces the sea, the luxury Sheraton Montazah Hotel Alexandria (www.starwoodhotels.com) has a great view of the seafront and one of the most highly rated Italian restaurants.
One of the more historical sights in Luxor will soon become one of the world’s largest open-air museums when the $11 million project is completed. The project is the restoration of over a one-mile stretch of land that connects the grand temples of Luxor and Karnak on the east bank of the River Nile. This “Avenue of the Sphinx” is aptly named for the staggering number of statues that line the alley, built by the 30th Dynasty King Nectanebo 1 (380-362 BC). During just the first part of the excavation, Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed 650 sphinxes out of the original 1350.
Extreme Egypt
Believe it or not, Egypt is also a top destination for the active traveler. Diving, desert treks and even sandboarding are all some of the adventures to satisfy any thrill-seeker, and another great way to sell the destination. Have them gallop through the desert in the shadow of the pyramids or wind and kite surf on the Red Sea; both available through Real Adventures (www.RealAdventures.com).
For fishing, the Nile provides the largest freshwater fish in the world, or for a real cutting edge sport, a desert safari with sand boarding options will be sure to leave them breathless. Available through the Adham Compound Resort (www.adhamcompoundegypt.com), a sport and recreational resort offering extreme sports a complete tennis center.
There are many tour companies offering extreme adventures these days. Another, Sunshine Diving (www.sunshinediving.com) is an online extreme sports and recreational tour operator, locally owned and managed, that offer a full range of affordable and personalized Egypt sightseeing tours, with extreme sports, diving and desert safaris their sweet spot.
For more information visit the official website of the Egypt Tourism Authority at www.Egypt.travel

april 2010 feature

Egypt Ancient Times, Modern World

By Lisa Loverro

Mix together a Nile River Cruise with a visit to the Great Pyramids and a stay at the Kempinski, Oberoi or Four Seasons. Add in a splash of high-end spa treatments or a round of golf and you’ve got the perfect recipe to satisfy a wide range of travel enthusiasts. Egypt, with its ancient archeology and modern capital city of Cairo, attracts thousands of tourists each year, from adventure-seekers to history buffs. Even considering the economic downturn, the region remains strong. According to El Sayed Khalifa from the Egyptian Tourism Authority: “The stats for 2009 were very good despite the recent economic downturn. 321,000 Americans visited Egypt—the highest figure ever, with 0.7% increase over 2008. This year (2010) is going to be far better than 2009 based on the actual bookings that the Tour Operators report.” Emma Cottis, Product and Marketing Manager with Goway Travel (www.goway.com), remains optimistic as well. “This region has seen increased demand over the last few years, and we expect that to continue further in the coming years. Accessibility from North America and excellent prices on experiences all contribute to stimulating demand for travel to the region.”
Sitting on the northeast corner of Africa, Egypt is technically an African country although it is often considered a part of the Middle East due to its close proximity to Jordan and Israel. The beauty of this destination lies in its ever-evolving archeological discoveries. Just this past January, mud-brick tombs dating back more than 4,000 years were discovered next to the Great Pyramids. Egypt also holds a multitude of other activities aside from archeological finds and biblical sites. “Beyond the unique archaeological, cultural and historical experiences, clients can enjoy treatments on the Nile aboard the stellar Oberoi Zahra, the only ship on the river with a full-service spa,” says Michelle Finkelstein, VP of Sales, for Our Personal Guest (www.ourpersonalguest.com), a customized, luxury tour operator. “Shopping the narrow alleys of the 14th century Khan el-Khalili bazaar in Cairo for souvenirs and traditional crafts is also a highlight. Then, relax with lunch in the market at the atmospheric Naguib Mahfouz (named after the famous author), which is run by the Oberoi Mena House Hotel.”
Traveling through a country of this size can be an overwhelming task, but hitting all the major sites in a timely fashion can be accomplished with a bit of advance research and planning. According to Finkelstein, the ideal length of stay is about 10 nights, with two to three in Cairo and a seven-night Nile cruise. Touring options in this immense country range from the very high-end, where “Our Personal Guests’ highly customized tours run around $22,000 for two, to Trafalgar Tours’ “Best of Egypt 2010” 11-day package starting at $1,850 per person (www.trafalgar.com). Additionally, for clients looking to add Jordan to the Egyptian experience, Goway Travel offers a 21-day holiday of a lifetime, “Middle East Treasures” tour priced at $7,899 per person.

Upper Egypt
Cairo abounds with ancient sights and non-stop action. Simultaneously modern and ancient, the bustling sounds of this 24-hour city give way to the Great Pyramids, ancient temples and tombs and the Egyptian Antiquities Museum. Accommodations are plentiful. The new Kempinski Nile Hotel (www.kempinski.com), set to open in May 2010, is the first in Cairo for Kempinski and will be the city’s first luxury boutique hotel. The palatial Oberoi Mena House Hotel (www.oberoihotels.com), hosting royalty and Heads of State since their opening in 1869, is a great starting point for visitors to Egypt. The Conrad Cairo (www.conradhotels1.hilton.com) sits in the heart of downtown with easy access to most all attractions and the Four Seasons at Nile Plaza (www.fourseasons.com) offers everything you would expect from its brand with commanding views of the Nile.
The city of Luxor, often referred to as an “open-air museum,” is almost entirely supported by tourist dollars. The West Bank hosts the famous “Valley of the Kings” and “Valley of the Queens,” while the East Bank houses the ruins of the Kamak and Luxor temple complexes. With its own international airport, Luxor is another great starting point for one’s journey. The Maritim Jolie Ville Luxor Island Resort (www.jolieville-hotels.com) sits on its own secluded island away from the city and the Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor (www.sofitel.com) has been enchanting guests since 1886.
Red Sea Coast
The newest shining star on the turquoise waters of the Red Sea is the complex at Port Ghalib (www.portghalib.com). Completely constructed around a manmade lagoon, there is a multitude of hotels; with Intercontinental The Palace (www.ichotelsgroup.com) taking center stage. This destination on the coast is perfect for beach lovers seeking to be pampered. Whether it’s snorkeling or diving its coral reefs or relaxing with a cocktail and taking in the sun’s rays, the best way to access this part of the coast is to fly in from Cairo or even directly from Europe. The two hub airports on the coast are Marsa Alam and Hurghada.

Aswan
The southern-most city in Egypt, 600 miles south of Cairo, Aswan is perfect for laid-back clients looking to experience Egypt at a much slower pace. In this city where the desert almost touches the river, a visit to the Isis Temple complex of Philac, Monastery of St. Simeon and the Aswan and Nubian Museums are must-sees. The Sofitel Old Cataract Aswan Hotel (www.sofitel.com) is a safe bet for a consistently good stay, as is the Moevenpick Aswan (www.moevenpick-hotels.com), located on Elephantine Island in the middle of the Nile. Some people opt to fly to Aswan and spend a few days before taking a river cruise up the Nile to Luxor. From Aswan, via a short flight, clients can also access one of the most magnificent sights in Egypt, the massive rock temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel.

Alexandria
Egypt’s second largest city, and just 2 hours from Cairo by train, is sometimes referred to as the “Pearl of the Mediterranean.” Named after its founder Alexander the Great, the Greek and Roman influence is evident throughout the city. This resort town is more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern, attracting locals as well as tourists. The cosmopolitan vibe is packed with plenty of historical relics, perfect for anyone wishing to immerse themselves for days with an in-depth history lesson. The Greco-Roman Museum and Roman theatre, along with plenty of tombs, antiquities and monasteries, will keep clients busy for days. There are a variety of hotel options here from the Four Seasons Alexandria Hotels (www.fourseasons.com) to the Radisson Blu Hotel (www.radissonblu.com).

Stylin’ on the Nile
Nile Cruises are always a best bet to see all the worthwhile sights. The one worth mentioning provides a level of service and amenities not found on most. The 25 luxury cabins and two luxury suites aboard the Oberoi Zahra (www.oberoihotels.com) are some of the most spacious on the Nile. Each luxury suite offers a separate living room and attached terrace with Jacuzzi, and the Oberoi Zahra is the only boat on the Nile with a full service spa featuring four massage suites, each with a private shower and steam room. 
For more information on Egypt, contact the Egyptian Tourist Authority at 212- 332-2570 or visit www.egypt.travel