Egypt Promotes MICE and Special Market Tourism

While Egypt currently receives some nine million visitors a year only about two million tourists visit the country’s famed classic and historic monuments.   

These days most tourists are either engaged in active holiday options, attend well planned conferences or participate in innovative incentives, said Mr Elhamy ElZayat, Chairman & CEO, emeco travel during a recent tourism update at the Consulate General of Egypt in Sydney. 

Organised by Destination Marketing Services which has represented emeco travel in Australia for the past 14 years and the Consulate General of Egypt, the function attracted a diverse gathering including government officials, tour operators, conference and incentive organisers, ‘Friends of Egypt’, individuals involved in the Library of Alexandria and the media. 

In opening the presentation and as one of his last official duties before returning to Cairo, Mr Ahmed El-Kewaisny, Consul General of Egypt, said that some 42.000 Australians visited Egypt last year.  

Most of these were attracted through positive word of mouth because Egypt doesn’t have a tourist office in Australia.  Despite the lack of trade and consumer promotions, the number of tourists from Australia is increasing every year, he said. 

Egypt is easily accessible from Australia with air services through Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Singapore, Seoul, Dubai and Bahrain and on to Cairo, he added. 

Mr ElZayat underscored the attractiveness of Egypt and its wide appeal by saying that while Egypt’s wondrous monuments can never be downplayed many visitors to the 75 million-strong country these days are looking at special interest holidays such as diving, Thalasso spas or golf. 

Egypt has it all including five golf courses in the Greater Cairo area.  Three of these are located in the vicinity of the Pyramids, he said. 

Though just 3% of emeco’s business is concerned with MICE – a globally important market segment that is slowly growing in Egypt despite the lack of an Egyptian convention bureau – Mr ElZayat feels that Egypt is one of the best places in the world for conferences and incentives. 

“We have organised Pharoanic dinners at the mighty temples in Luxor, memorable functions at the Pyramids, special river excursions on the Nile using dedicated cruise boats as well as traditional faluccas and even luxurious safaris in the desert.  Egypt really has it all,” he said.

Exclusive report by Thomas E King