Six Continents Hotels, Egypt Air launch major drive to rebuild Egypt's tourism trail

Six Continents Hotels, which has a major presence in Egypt, has teamed up with Egypt Air in a major campaign to restore confidence in the country and win back the tourists.

Egypt's tourism industry has been dealt a huge blow in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US, with the country suffering more than any other Middle East destination, with millions of dollars being lost through a general fear of travelling,

"The truth is that Egypt remains a wonderfully exciting travel destination, and people have no reason to fear coming here," said Raymond Khalife, President, Six Continents Hotels, Middle East and Africa, at the company's regional headquarters in Cairo.

"We have formed a working partnership with Egypt Air to drive home this message. The tourists will eventually realise that it is safe to visit Egypt, but we want to accelerate that process to restrict the already considerable losses suffered by the tourism industry."

Mahmoud Hamed, Egypt Air's Vice President, Commercial, said: "Egypt is one of the world's most fascinating travel destinations, with a huge amount of attractions."

"Since September 11, people from all corners of the world have postponed plans to visit the country because they fear it is not safe to travel here. In view of the amount of negative publicity the Middle East has had, this is not surprising. But the tourists who have been here in the past three months have had a wonderful time, without being under any threat. That is the reality, and we want to bring this to the attention of many more."

In an effort to persuade more tourists to return, Six Continents Hotels has launched an intensive public relations and marketing initiative. It has also announced a range of attractive winter holiday packages, starting at just US$30 per person per night at its seven-strong Egyptian line-up of Inter-Continental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn hotels and resorts stretching from the banks of the Nile in Cairo to Egypt's world-famous monuments and the Red Sea Riviera. At the same time, Egypt Air has introduced special fares on inbound flights, and details are available from travel agents.

Raymond Khalife said: "Negative TV exposure has diluted positive images of Egypt. But people now holidaying by the Red Sea, or taking in Egypt's awe-inspiring historical sites, are having a fabulous time, and we must make sure the good news is broadcast as well."

He added: "Six Continents Hotels and Egypt Air believe every hotel company, airline, tour operator, car rental company, and cruise line who benefit when times are good, have a duty to help speed the return of international visitors. We can do this by encouraging and supporting government initiatives to rebuild confidence. We can use our global networks to deliver positive messages about Egypt. And we can make sure that every single overseas visitor has a flight, hotel, and visit to remember.

Winter holiday packages in Egypt are on offer from the Semiramis Inter-Continental Hotel, the Pyramids Park Inter-Continental Resort, the Hurghada Inter-Continental Resort & Casino, the Crowne Plaza Resort Sharm El Sheikh, the Holiday Inn Resort Amphoras Sharm El Sheikh, the Holiday Inn Resort Sharm El Sheikh and the Holiday Inn Resort Safaga Palace. Six Continents Hotels has nine other hotel properties under development in Egypt, with many more in the pipeline.

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