Kempinski invests in the future of Egyptian tourism

The agreement heralds Kempinski's first foray into the Egyptian hospitality market, and is likely to be followed in quick succession with a series of upscale resorts in select locations throughout the country.

The ceremony was presided over by Dr Farid Saad, Chairman of Abu Soma Development Company alongside Juerg Siegenthaler, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing for Kempinski.

Siegenthaler said the group was bullish about prospects in Egypt, "As a rule, Kempinski is very selective about the markets and properties we add to our portfolio and we have identified Egypt as a strong destination with great potential in terms of tourism growth and quality of the offering."

According to Business Monitor International, the Egyptian tourism industry is flourishing, with an impressive 9.8 million visitors recorded during the 2007 fiscal year, up 13% on 2006. Of particular importance to Kempinski, tourist room nights also saw a healthy increase of 13%, amounting to 96.3 million nights over the 2007 fiscal year. Projections for 2010 placed visitor numbers in excess of 11.2 million, which paves the way for additional hotel accommodation to cater to the influx of guests.

Kempinski is well versed in the finer points of launching new properties in emerging markets, adding a number of seemingly remote hotels and resorts to its collection in the Middle East, Africa and China over the last few years. As an established brand leader in the European market and a strong contender for Middle Eastern clientele, he feels Kempinski may have an advantage in Egypt, Siegenthaler explains, "Premium developments such as Soma Bay hold great appeal for the European and Middle Eastern tourist markets, who are currently the predominant visitors to Egypt and also Kempinski's clientele, therefore it makes good business sense for Kempinski to align with these ambitious new projects".

Dr Farid Saad, part owner of the Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay who has superheaded the development of the peninsula since the early 1990's, believes the relationship with Kempinski produce manifold benefits, saying, "To maintain a standard of unrivalled luxury and service, we aspire to include only the best operators within Soma Bay, and Kempinski is an outstanding example of this. Becoming part of the group's network of distinctive worldwide hotels gives a definite competitive edge to our entire development, and perfectly complements the other existing five star properties within the resort. Soma Bay aims to become the ultimate resort destination on the Red Sea."

Kempinski's forthright strategy in Egypt, will lead to an increase in employment opportunities for Egyptian nationals eager to pursue a career in the hospitality industry. Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay property alone will hire approximately 500 staff with full five star standard training and career advancement opportunities within the group.

Part of the master-planned Soma Bay Peninsula, the 324 room Moorish-inspired hotel has a private, natural sandy beach which extends 400m along the sea front, with access to excellent water sports and diving opportunities. Six restaurants and bars overlooking the Marina and Soma Bay, propose an inviting range of cuisines. An impressive landscaping of waterfalls, lagoons and pools complement the resort along with four floodlit tennis courts, two squash courts and a luxuriously appointed Health Club & Spa with a state-of-the-art gymnasium and a full range of wellness treatments.