Sharm El-Sheikh’s tourism industry can recover with the right marketing

GlobalData has reported that Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh’s tourism industry can thrive with the right marketing.

Following the lifting of the four-year flight ban on the resort location, companies pounced to operate in Sharm El-Sheikh said GlobalData.

Particularly with some good marketing to UK visitors, the tourism economy in the area could soar.

According to a GlobalData survey, 63% of UK respondents are unlikely to change their plans because of a terrorist attack or political event. This compares to a global average of 54%, showing that UK residents tend to be relatively relaxed about travel threats.

GlobalData’s travel and tourism analyst, Laura Beaton, commented: “Just hours after the ban was lifted, companies were jumping at the chance to resume operations. TUI has already begun selling holidays for 2020 and easyJet will launch flights to Egypt for the first time. In addition, Olympic Hotels will offer hotels previously exclusive to Thomas Cook, which will boost business for the area and mitigate some of the issues that may have occurred after the collapse of Thomas Cook.”

However, officials from the company do believe that the area must work on marketing its attractive diving opportunities. Diving company Regaldive for example is offering two days free if a dive package is booked within a certain timeframe.

Beaton added: “This should be leveraged by Egypt and will prove helpful in restoring perceptions among tourists. Scubatravel.co.uk, which compiles a list of popular dive spots according to review from divers, puts Thistlegorm in the Egyptian Red Sea as the fourth most popular location in the world. The Shark and Yolanda Reef in the Egyptian Red Sea comes in at fifth place for divers looking for a more natural adventure.”

Beaton continued: “Sharm El-Sheikh will quickly bounce back because it is such an iconic destination for UK travellers. Holiday-makers have been circumventing the ban by flying indirectly or traveling across land from other parts of Egypt. Now that connectivity is restored, UK travelers will return much faster.”