(AFP Photo )
The Tourism Activation Authority (TAA) will lower participation fees for the TT Warsaw Fair in November by 47%, according to an official at the authority.
The official stated that, following Russia, the Polish market is the second largest tourism market in Eastern Europe in terms of tourists to Egypt. It is considered a strong market from which Egypt can further attract tourists by increasing marketing campaigns.
Adel Zaki, head of the International Tourism Committee with the Egyptian Travel Agents Association (ETAA), said this decision is to encourage companies to operate in markets abroad. It is also to increase inbound touristic traffic to Egypt during the upcoming winter season.
Last Tuesday, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) announced that tangible improvements in touristic activity to Egypt were made during August. Egypt saw growth rates rising by 76% over rates for the same month in 2013.
Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh are the main destinations for Polish tourists visiting Egypt, and their stays typically last 7-10 days, stated the official.
Daily News Egypt previously reported that the ministry plans to attend 21 tourism exhibitions this year, the majority of which are located in Europe. It is hoped that this will increase tourism income to $10.5bn, compared to $5m last year.
The official affirmed that under 400,000 tourists visited Egypt last year, far less than the target of 600,000 tourists, which he attributed to the political instability experienced by Egypt last year.
In the second week of October, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Poland lifted travel warnings for the Sinai Peninsula.
This warning was issued following the death of three South Korean tourists in mid-February.
The official hopes that 500,000 tourists will visit Egypt from Poland this year, compared to the 350,000 that visited in 2013.
Average spending per Polish tourist amounts to $60 per night, according to the official, who added that it is a small amount.
During the first half of 2014, tourism traffic to Egypt declined to 4.5 million tourists, representing a 25% decline over the same period last year.
Zaki asked the Ministry of Tourism to continue lowering participation costs in international tourism fairs, especially those held in markets that are interested in cultural and historic tourism in Luxor and Aswan.
TAA lowered participation fees for companies and hotels in Riyadh Travel Fair next May by 50% to reach €1,150.
