A delegation of officials from several Russian tourism companies visited Hurghada in the past 4 days, at the invitation of Turkish Airlines, in preparation for the resumption of air traffic to the city this winter.
Turkish Airlines hosted the officials from Sochi and Rostov, in cooperation with one of Egypt’s largest tourism companies.
Together, they organized a sample tourist program for the Russian delegation, including Red Sea island cruise, a safari trip, a tour of a number of tourist villages, and other attractions. The delegation’s main accommodation was in the Sahl Hasheesh area.
Russian flights to Egypt were suspended following the downing of a Russian aircraft in Sinai on its way from Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg on October 31, 2015.
The incident claimed the lives of all 224 passengers and crew-members onboard. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) later designated the incident as a terrorist attack.
Russian tourists held the lion’s share of tourism in Red Sea pearls Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada, until the decision to suspend flights.
On April 11, Russia’s largest airliner Aeroflot resumed flights to Cairo.
Tourism revenues make up 11.5 percent of the total GDP of Egypt, according to the Ministry of Tourism, and it is estimated the suspension cost Egypt’s tourism industry US$4 million per day.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
