Industrial Development and Workers Bank of Egypt’s (IDBE) Chairman and Managing Director-Executive El-Sayed El-Kosayer said that promoting tourism in Sharm El-Sheikh needs unconventional solutions to differentiate tourism types and achieve sustainability.
El-Kosayer told Daily News Egypt that the efforts exerted by different state bodies to promote tourism in the city are still not enough since “the city of peace” still suffers from low occupancy rates and huge loses daily.
He suggested building a high-quality mall in Sharm El-Sheikh, which brings together the world’s best brands, restaurants, and amusement parks for children. He also suggested holding shopping events for Arabs, something recommended by Gulf tourists and helps in increasing their expenditure.
He recommended building a stadium in Sharm El-Sheikh to host international matches like those held in Dubai and other large cities abroad and advised speeding up construction work in the Olympic Village.
El-Kosayer suggested building an international theater in the city and to invite famous artists to perform. In addition, they may expand the museum in Sharm El-Sheikh to display Egyptian ancient civilisation.
“General Authority for Tourism Development should have branches next to Sharm El-Sheikh Airport to screen videos about Egypt and Sharm El-Sheikh as well as other tourist places. Such offices should spread to all tourist and ancient cities,” he said.
Major businessmen working in the tourism sector should establish international companies as representatives. These companies should be located outside Egypt, especially in those countries targeted in promotion campaigns. He suggested acquiring abroad deputies instead of relying on foreign deputies to promote for Egyptian tourism.
Egyptian tourism companies can ask foreign representatives to organise agendas for trips in multiple countries including Egypt. If such ideas were studied carefully and went underway, it will lead to a significant increase in tourism.
