Luxor4u

Return of Tourists? Thomas Cook to Operate 36 Weekly Flights to Egypt

EGYPTIAN STREETS
NOVEMBER 11, 2016
sharm

Egypt’s Minister of Tourism Yehia Rashed announced on Wednesday that Thomas Cook airlines will soon be operating 36 flights a week to Egypt.

Speaking to journalists at the World Travel Market in London, Rashed said that Thomas Cook flights to Egypt will increase over the winter season, a time which is popular with Europeans hoping to escape cold winters for warmer weather elsewhere.

According to Rashed, the increase in flights is in response to a change in perceptions towards Egypt. Rashed believes that 2017 will see a boost in tourism to Egypt, which has struggled to attract tourists since the January 25 revolution in 2011.

The news comes days after the Chairman of the World Travel and Tourism Council said that tourism to Egypt will return to pre-2011 levels next year as a result of increased confidence in Egypt’s security.

More than 14.7 million tourists traveled to Egypt in 2010, with that number falling to 9.8 million in 2011. Despite Egypt’s dwindling tourism revenues, which have played a part in triggering the country’s ongoing foreign currency crisis, Egypt aims to attract 12 million tourists by the end of 2017 by way of implementing an ambitious six-point plan, which will include increasing the presence of the national airline EgyptAir abroad, cooperating with low-cost airlines and improving services.

Most of these won't happen unless there is a change in the Travel Advise.

What operators have advertised Luxor Holidays for this year? I was on a flight a couple of days ago and people were saying that they had not seen Luxor holidays in brochures for a few years

Bombay wrote:Most of these won't happen unless there is a change in the Travel Advise.

At first I thought that 36 was a bit high, but it is only about 5 a day, using more than one airport in Egypt and maybe several in the UK.

Assuming that Sharm el-Sheikh is given the all clear, as seems likely, that would mop up about half of them.

I'll be waiting to see, but I wish that it were proper airlines who are licensed for outbound travel from Egypt and for single tickets.

It doesn't say where these flights will depart from so doesn't have to be the UK.
Thomas Cook are a European wide airline a number of European countries have lifted the travel ban to Sharm Airport.
They already operate a number of flights to Hurghada from around Europe each week 13 in the last 3 days.

Brian Yare wrote:

Bombay wrote:Most of these won't happen unless there is a change in the Travel Advise.

At first I thought that 36 was a bit high, but it is only about 5 a day, using more than one airport in Egypt and maybe several in the UK.

Assuming that Sharm el-Sheikh is given the all clear, as seems likely, that would mop up about half of them.

I'll be waiting to see, but I wish that it were proper airlines who are licensed for outbound travel from Egypt and for single tickets.

Every airline that flies into Cairo, quite a few into all the other airports in Egypt are scheduled so sell single tickets both indound and outbound.

Bombay wrote:Most of these won't happen unless there is a change in the Travel Advise.

Which particular bit of Travel Advice?

At the moment part of the UK advice for Egypt reads:
'The tourist areas along the Nile river (including Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings) and the Red Sea resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada aren’t included in the areas to which the FCO advise against all but essential travel.'

The areas listed are in the 'Green' zone.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt

HEPZIBAH wrote:

Bombay wrote:Most of these won't happen unless there is a change in the Travel Advise.

Which particular bit of Travel Advice?

At the moment part of the UK advice for Egypt reads:
'The tourist areas along the Nile river (including Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings) and the Red Sea resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada aren’t included in the areas to which the FCO advise against all but essential travel.'

The areas listed are in the 'Green' zone.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt

Yes ...but you are advised against flying to Sharm :

"As a precautionary measure, we are advising against all but essential travel by air to or from Sharm el Sheikh.

We are not raising the threat level in the resort. The above advice applies only to air travel to and from Sharm el Sheikh."

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt

newcastle wrote:

HEPZIBAH wrote:

Bombay wrote:Most of these won't happen unless there is a change in the Travel Advise.

Which particular bit of Travel Advice?

At the moment part of the UK advice for Egypt reads:
'The tourist areas along the Nile river (including Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings) and the Red Sea resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada aren’t included in the areas to which the FCO advise against all but essential travel.'

The areas listed are in the 'Green' zone.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt

Yes ...but you are advised against flying to Sharm :

"As a precautionary measure, we are advising against all but essential travel by air to or from Sharm el Sheikh.

We are not raising the threat level in the resort. The above advice applies only to air travel to and from Sharm el Sheikh."

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt

Hmm...OK, sorry, missed that bit about flying in and out of Sharm el Sheikh. However, that is still only one location among many in the country.

As far as Brits are concerned it's really only Hurghada, Sharm & Luxor....and the airlines don't seem too keen on Luxor.

Presumably it's a perceived "lack of interest" which is keeping UK operators from putting on flights to Luxor.