The Ministry of Tourism has decided to extend the low-cost charter and charter incentive programme for a year starting from November this year until the end of October next year.
An official at the Ministry of Tourism said the aim of the programme is to increase the inflow of tourism to Egypt during the coming period with the trend of charter airlines to increase the number of its incoming flights to Egypt.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the ministry had received requests with some charter airlines to provide new flights that would begin in November, forcing the programme to be extended for another year.
According to the programme of incentives for charter and regular aviation, airlines receive support paid by the Ministry of Tourism to these companies to increase the percentage of full seats on aircraft.
“Every dollar paid in the regular and regular aviation incentive programme gives Egypt $21, which means it is a profitable investment in increasing the number of incoming tourists,” the official said.
“The Ministry of Tourism has sent a list of 78 companies to the room to pay the dues of the charter flights during the current year, which started on 1 November last year and ends at the end of October,” said Osama Omara, secretary-general of the Egyptian Travel Agencies Association.
“The Ministry of Tourism has asked us to tell the companies to complete their own papers to get the support of the charter airline, and the companies have been informed,” he said.
A tourism ministry official said the Hurghada Airport would charge more than 70% of the incentive value for regular and low-cost charter flights during the duration of the current programme, which ends on 31 October.
The number of rooms in the Red Sea governorate is 69,000, representing more than 35% of the hotel capacity operating in Egypt, with 225,000 rooms. In South Sinai, there are about 63,000 rooms, according to the Egyptian Hotel Association (EHA).
“The assessment of the programme takes place every six months to increase the number of incoming tourists to Egypt during the coming year, as we hope to reach close to 12 million tourists, up from 8 million tourists targeted by the end of this year,” according to an official with the Ministry of Tourism.
He predicted that flights from Germany this year would consume a large percentage of the value of the incentives, with German tourism growth of more than 30% during the first half of the year.
Blusky (Thomas Cook’s agent) and Travco (TUI’s agent) top the list of those with highest debts without detailing their value.
He expected an increase in incentives for flights to Sharm El-Sheikh Airport by the end of next year, when Russia raised the travel comments to Egypt or Britain, adding that the two countries represent close to 45% of the annual tourism flows to Egypt.
Russia has stopped tourism trips for its citizens to Egypt since a plane crashed at the end of October 2015, while Britain stopped Sharm El-Sheikh tourist trips.
