Over 11,000 tourists arrive

[Bombay]

Just how reliable is Al Ahram? 74 + 10 = 148?
41 Aircraft arrived at Hurghada today inc 1 x 747 the rest seating 230 or less


International and domestic tourists in large numbers are celebrating the Eid Al-Fitr holiday in the Red Sea city of Hurghada

Hurghada International Airport witnessed Thursday the arrival of 11,250 tourists of multiple nationalities onboard 74 planes.


Airport manager Samy Abdel-Moneim told state news agency MENA that the airport witnessed an increase in flights Thursday, reaching 148 — 74 of which from international airports, and 10 arriving from domestic Egyptian airports.

Hundreds of buses arrived at the airport to transport the tourists to their hotels.

In a related development, secretary general of the Chamber of Hotel Facilities in the Red Sea Hatem Mounir stated that occupancy rates in tourist facilities has reached 88 percent, with an increase of three percent since the beginning of this week.

According to Mounir, some hotels have occupancy rates as high as 95 percent.

Egyptians flocking to Hurghada and other touristic destinations are celebrating the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Egypt's tourism sector received several blows since the beginning of this year, the most tragic of which was the highly-publicised hot air balloon accident in Luxor that left 19 tourists dead late January.

In June, a report issued by state statistics agency CAPMAS said that Egypt received 1.1 million tourists in April 2013, 5.2 percent more than the one million it received in the same period last year, but still less than April 2010, when 1.2 million visited the country.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent ... ghada.aspx

[carrie]

Just had a look ar Hurgada airport arrivals, lot of the flights were marked scheduled but no time of departure or arrival, some of the flights were internel, ie Marsa Alam, Luxor. Some from Cairo which could have been bringing in tourists via Cairo, a lot fom Germany and Jedda, those from Jedda are presumably from Luxor returning for the feast. Can't see how they claim that 11,000 touists arrived.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Sounds like a type or wishful thinking. Be great if it was true but that sure is a load of people to suddenly arrive. Probably is in Egypt's best interest to let 'info' (accurate or not) leak out showing numbers are high and times are good.

Are the hotels - and I'm recalling from another thread about the LaPaolo (?) that the pool was green slime. IF there was a sudden influx of tourists are the hotels and everybody prepared? Should the flood gates open is the infrastructure ready (as in fully staffed and the kitchens loaded down with food etc etc etc) to take back in coming hordes intent on holidays?

Am thinking that all the shops overloaded with mega made-in-China souvenirs just need open their doors and they're ready.

But is everybody else?