Medical tourism is exceeding $100b revenues around the world
We are trying our best to correct Egypt’s public image to the world… We have an extended solution plan
We are developing more than 34 markets in which we used to depend only on 7 markets in China, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia & South Korea
By Alaa Abdelwanis
Photo credit: Mohram Fouad
Clearing Threats
The Ministry of Tourism launched an advertising campaign covering more than 14 markets with these detriments in streets and main squares, Mahmoud said. We have also signed an agreement with an international advertising company for 3 years, starting from September 2015 till September 2018, with a budget estimated at $68m. He added, we have also signed an agreement with one of international public relations companies to work on bettering our public image around the world. Egypt’s public image has been defaced over the last period. As a consequence, tourism movement was influenced negatively in Egypt. Everyone knows that it is not easy to regain a good public image in one day. It is the public relation company’s duty to work on presenting a good public image to exclude the negative one. He said that the Ministry of Tourism has signed an agreement with one of crisis management companies to communicate with international media because it is very important. Most of us know that some of the international media is against Egypt and spread much fake and irrational news about Egypt.
Ministry of Tourism plan
The Minister of Tourism has 6 main targets which will be worked on in the next 6 months. These targets are very important to achieve in order to develop Tourism sector. The Tourism sector was operating in a traditional way. The main purpose is to develop the infrastructure and investment in the sector. In addition, an online website is to be developed as the world is turning its business into online websites; online market percentage exceeds 50 per cent. Clean energy and green energy usage is part of the ministry’s plan to develop tourism sector. However, this plan needs some time to result fruitfully. The plan’s implementation has already begun in form of marketing and publicizing activities. The ministry’s online website will be ready to launch in 2 or 3 months. The Ministry of Tourism has a plan for green tourism as well. We hope that 2017 will get Egypt on the track once more.
Expected Revenues of Egyptian Tourism this year
Egyptian tourism did not achieve much this year and it is expected to have 7 million tourists at the end of this year. As for the next year, 10 million tourists are expected to visit Egypt which will result in revenue of $10b to $12b.
New projects of the Egyptian Tourism Development Authority
The authority is focusing on the Arab market, especially gulf markets. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Lebanon and Morocco markets are on the top of crucial markets.
The Ministry of Tourism has started opening variant markets after having just 7 markets resulting in 75 per cent revenues of the total tourism income; these markets were in Russia, France, Germany, Italy and England. We have opened 34 markets and we are giving much attention to China, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and South Korea.
Leaving a good impression on tourists
Egypt has a good infrastructure for tourism; we have 220 thousand rooms and around 200 thousand rooms under construction in which 70 per cent of them are located on the red sea coasts in Hurghada and Sharm El-Shekh. Egypt has great potentials for tourism due to its beaches, monuments and hotels, in addition to diving centres, different amusement centres and conference halls spread around Hurghada and Sharm El-Shekh. These conference halls have the capacity of hosting medium-sized conferences, especially in Luxor, Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh.
An online website for tourism in Egypt
Arab tourism is mostly online. We are working on a very special online website for the Egyptian tourism which is supposed to be a complete booking system as it will include tourist programmes and hotel booking. Egypt will launch its high quality online website in 2 months; it will enable tourists to go on with booking procedures either Arab or Foreign tourists.
Investing medical tourism in Egypt
Egypt has many excellent sites for medical and recreation tourism, in addition to natural resources to cure some diseases such as: Psoriasis curing in Safaga, sand baths in Aswan or Siwa and some sulfur springs in Oyun Mosa. These sites should be made use of to develop the Egyptian tourism sector. This could be achieved through two main factors, firstly, developing the infrastructure of these sites. Secondly, publicizing these sites and organising tourist programmes by tourism companies. Egypt, 25 years ago, used to have many potentials resources but unfortunately the system that used to be in charge wasted these resources. Countries such as India, Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco have developed their tourist resources which made them take Egypt’s place. We hope that the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Health would cooperate again to offer systematic professional medical tourism. Arab countries spend around $23b on medical tourism. Medical tourism is worth over $100b around the world. This is a golden opportunity for the Egyptian tourism if the needed infrastructure was provided such as hospitals, medical and nursing services with excellent quality. If Egypt succeeds at establishing such a good tourism system, medical tourism will be a hopeful sign for Egypt. For instance, UAE has revenue of $2b out of medical tourism and is planning to have $6b revenue. Thus, Egypt is as well capable of achieving the same.
Mahmoud added, tourists should not give attention to what is said about Egypt in the media. Egypt is safe and stable. It has a very good tourism infrastructure, in addition to 5 different civilizations in which the most ancient is Pharaonic civilization that exists only in Egypt. Egypt welcomes all tourists; the Egyptian people are generous and would welcome all tourists, especially Arabs.
