Europeans see Egypt as a primary holiday destination CAIRO: Expectations are high in Egypt for an increase in tourist numbers toward the end of 2024. Authorities have highlighted the stability of the tourism sector in several Egyptian locations, particularly in the Red Sea region. They say that a significant number of tourists from Germany are visiting Hurghada, while Italians prefer Marsa Alam. Mounir Fikry, a member of the Red Sea Tourism Chamber, said that the European market continued to see Egypt as a primary destination. Fikry told Arab News that the Red Sea Governorate was “rich with its cities and enchanting beaches, making it a major destination for many foreign tourists.” He added that Europeans see Egypt as an attractive destination, with tourists from Germany, Britain, Poland and Italy, among other countries, having the country high on their list of desirable places to visit. Fikry advocated for facilitating internal flights between Marsa Alam and Luxor and between Hurghada and Luxor to mitigate the impact of long distances. Amjad Al-Nasharati, a tourism expert, told Arab News that the Russia-Ukraine conflict had affected tourism in Russia, with Hurghada receiving around 760,000 Russian tourists in the first half of 2024 alone. He added that the number of tourists from Scandinavian countries had declined. Al-Nasharati urged the relevant authorities to reactivate tourism promotion offices in those countries to attract visitors again, and emphasized the importance of targeting travelers from African countries such as South Africa and Nigeria, which send significant numbers of visitors to Dubai and other Arab markets. Al-Nasharati added that European tourism to the Red Sea — particularly from Italy, Germany, and Britain — remained robust. However, recent figures from Russia and Ukraine had not hit those hitherto reached from those countries. He highlighted that domestic tourism in Egypt had substantially compensated, with Egyptian tourists boosting hotel occupancy rates to more than 80 percent. Rami Faiz, a member of the Red Sea Hotel Facilities Chamber and vice president of the Marsa Alam Tourism Investors Association, said that occupancy rates in hotels across the Red Sea region ranged from 85 percent to 95 percent in the first half of 2024. This region includes locations like Hurghada, El-Gouna, Sahl Hasheesh, Makadi, El Quseir, Marsa Alam, and Safaga.