Tourism Problem solved!!

[newcastle]

I've discovered a foolproof way to fill Egypt's tourist resorts....and I want my prize!

I have to give some credit to a recent article in Egypt Independent :

http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/si ... ism-winter

In particular :

"Ammary Abdel Azim, head of Tourism Companies Division at the Chamber of Commerce, told Egypt Independent that the two-day Global Summit on Luxor Tourism that was organized by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) last week, raised the hotel occupancy rates in Luxor to 90 percent. The UNWTO has named Luxor as the 2016 World Tourism Capital"

And again...

"While Siwa oasis witnessed remarkable increases in occupancy rates that reached 100 percent due to the Second Annual International Date Festival; the Director General of Tourism and Resorts in Marsa Matrouh governorate Sabah Tawfiq said that the strong promotional campaigns for the festival, along with the support of the Marsa Matrouh governor helped raise the tourism flow to Siwa."

All Egypt needs to do is organise a festival every week...any subject will do...in its tourist cities (hotel accommodation is important) and tourism problem is solved! Full hotels...full employment.

Simples.....what could possibly go wrong?

[Horus]

Now is the Annual International Date Festival to celebrate things like Greenwich Meantime or is it the fruit?

[newcastle]

Now is the Annual International Date Festival to celebrate things like Greenwich Meantime or is it the fruit?

The fruit.....or rather the date palm.

So we can go for that one every year ...just different cities

Is there a International Sand Festival?

[HEPZIBAH]

There are so many things that could be done to re-invent and promote tourism in the region. Numerous things could be adopted for 'festival' tourism. Other countries manage it, e.g Morocco, and with a better mindset I'm sure (Upper) Egypt could too.
I'm not convinced that it's the lack of vision so much as the overall inability for individuals/groups/organisations to actually properly organise and run things. It seems somethings reach the starting post, often with great fanfare but then fall at the first hurdles (often being lack of final promotion/poor timekeeping).

[newcastle]

Organisational skills are not Egypt's forte.

I wonder what net benefit there is in holding an international "talking" event anyway....apart from hotel occupancy for the days involved. Presumably there's a lot of costs involved, some, if not all, of which will fall on the venue by way of subsidised prices etc.

Apart from meetings, talks, within the venues I wonder how much of the location the delegates actually get to visit. Are they likely to contribute much to the local economy?

If the delegates to the recent Luxor conference went sightseeing, took feluccas, caleches or balloons...I bet they didn't pay tourist rates...or much at all!

Perhaps it's a way of advertising/promoting a location but I doubt they are much of a money-spinner per se.

[Horus]

Hepzi it is called "couldn't organise a p*ss up in a brewery" I cannot actually recall anything that got implemented and then maintained properly. Just look at the lovely Corniche and plaza areas that were built, falling apart after a few months, the lovely fountains that fell into decay, ripping up the grassy shaded area to replace it with an open shadeless chunk of heat reflecting granite. Everything is done on a shoestring, often poorly thought out and badly organised, there does not seem to be a cohesive organisation properly funded and professionally run to oversee these projects and to maintain them.

[Yildez]

The problem is that members of this and other Egypt forums do not need to be convinced that Egypt is safe for tourists. Neither do those who, like many members of L4U, travel independently, or those who choose specialist tours. The fundamental issue is public perception, and until the public at large believe Egypt to be a safe holiday destination all the awards, accolades, videos and TV ads are in vain.

In the last week I've been asked 8 times if I'm travelling to Egypt this winter - Brits, Turks, a German and a Swiss. Hearing that I am not going, all responded "thank goodness, it's not safe, we were so worried when you went last year," etc etc. All educated, well travelled people I might add.

I believe Egypt, and Luxor, need to concentrate on the domestic economy, rather than looking backwards at what once was a thriving tourist industry. Move on, the world has changed, and so has tourism.

[Horus]

I could not agree more, none of this will change anything until the worlds perception of the whole of the Middle East changes and their own (the tourists) local economies and internal issues are solved. If people are still uncertain of their own futures employment wise, or do not have the same amount of disposable income as they used to, or travel methods are inconvenient to them, then no amount of advertising is going to change that and it all factors into a decline in Egyptian tourism. You cannot compare the views of an independent traveller or returning visitor with those of an average tourist deciding on their holiday plans with their perception of the current Middle East situation when looked at in a world context of safety and terrorism, so many will choose to stay at home regardless of all attempts to lure them.

[newcastle]

And sadly, even the regular visitor, who knows the fears expressed in the media are exaggerated, is stymied by the lack of flights at affordable prices.

They don't, of themselves, constitute a big enough market for the airlines to lay on many regular flights...or not as many as they used to.

A classic 'chicken & egg' situation.

[Major Thom]

Yildez its not often I agree with people as you know, but your last post is spot on and I am sure many agree. Well said....

[HEPZIBAH]

It is because of reasons, as stated above that I said

There are so many things that could be done to re-invent and promote tourism in the region. Numerous things could be adopted for 'festival' tourism. Other countries manage it, e.g Morocco, and with a better mindset I'm sure (Upper) Egypt could too.

But it does all boil down to (well probably not exclusively) a better mindset .

The Luxor, and The African, Film Festivals took a bit of getting off the ground, but they do seem to be happening now as annual events and without so many reported problems.

There is a Balloon Festival due to take place soon. We don't know how this will develop - it may just be a lot of hot air being spouted by the organisers, but it may take off and become an annual event. Reach for the Sky could become their motto, and who knows, they may just achieve it. (All puns intended.)

Earlier in the year, on televison we watched Dave Myers, one half the Hairy Bikers, take a culinary tour of Egypt, including Luxor. Egypt may not be famous for its food, but there is a growing market for Culinary Tourism and that does not seem to have been capitalised on in Egypt.

When people think of Egypt, they often think of camels. There is a camel market (or used to be) a little way outside Luxor, but is there a camel festival in the region, or even in Egypt. I would be surprised if there wasn't, if not now then in the past. Other countries make quite a lot of their camel festivals and these can go on for days.

I know the examples I have given above will never draw in the masses, but then neither does real archaeology (many folks are 'templed out' after two days). The point I'm trying to make is that when I say 're-invent' tourism I am suggesting that (just as is often pointed out to us regularly on this forum) the days of mass tourism (and kiss me quick hats) has ended, but specialised tourism is still a big attraction for many and a money spinner too for those that hit the right market.

[newcastle]

I agree with Hepzibah that "mindset" is the problem....it's fixed in the 'old ways' and Egyptians seem particularly slow to adapt and innovate. It's a feature of life here and not confined to tourism.

If you speak to people in the tourism industry they are still waiting for the tourists to return , in their pre-2011 droves. All will be well when the flights resume....or so they seem to think.

I've seen precious little attention being given in these slack years to improving the tourism infrastructure, tackling the negative aspects of "hassle on the streets", training tourism workers to a higher standard etc. etc. In general they fall way short of what you'll find in European tourist destinations.

The government has stood by, bemoaning the absence of tourists and, consequently, the hard currency tourism generates - whilst spending millions on overseas marketing junkets and sundry, superficial, efforts to encourage tourism from the Gulf and further East.

The impact of the air disasters has been exacerbated by denials and dithering over changes demanded by foreign governments.

Cheap & cheerful tourism is over and Egypt needs to look upmarket....with ideas to attract the discerning visitor and the requisite quality services to offer them.

[BENNU]

All Egypt needs to do is organise a festival every week...any subject will do...in its tourist cities (hotel accommodation is important) and tourism problem is solved! Full hotels...full employment.

Simples.....what could possibly go wrong?

I used to attend a festival flour times a year at a five star hotel in Cairo with up to 350 participants from all over the world. Last time, there were ten of us.

[Major Thom]

And everyone is still awaiting the final reports of the two air crashes.

[Dusak]

They could hold a festival of ''Reasons to visit Egypt.'' But thinking about it, the hotels would still be empty.

[newcastle]

Apologies for resurrecting this old thread but Luxor Times has just kindly posted a 30 min video of Zaki Hawass talking at the 2016 UNWTO Summit held in Luxor.

It's the usual Hawass stuff...I did this....I discovered that....I met so-and-so....but it has its humerous aspects.

I thought he was going to have a hissy fit at the outset, when no-one would lower the lights and some people had the temerity to arrive late.

On one of his "hands on" explorations he is stuck for 3 hours dangling down a pit. Sadly...he was rescued.

It's really a whizz through of current "possibilities" with regard to discoveries - so not really on-topic for the Conference aims - but interesting none the less.

At least I though so....and heaven only knows, it takes something for me to sit through more than 5 minutes of the man

https://www.youtube.com/embed/BoSuenijJ-M

[Dusak]

My firewall will not allow this numpty on my screen.

[Chris]

What about a 'Banana Festival' = I am sure that would make a lot of people happy!!!

[Hafiz]

Two suggestions. The Army of 750,000 and the police force of 1.000.000 do their job - suppress terrorism. It can't be all that hard except if you are otherwise diverted into building capital cities, running supermarkets and petrol stations and operating factories and a chain of military hotels.

Second, fire everyone in the Supreme Antiques and Ministry of Tourism and hold a recruitment drive to replace them based on an IQ test and proof they can read and write.

As far as Luxor is concerned - ignore the governor, Supreme Antiques and Ministry and treat the situation as one of survival, on your own terms, without government support and based only on local initiative. Assume that Cairo couldn't care less about Upper Egypt.

[Winged Isis]

Mia-mia Hafiz!