Tourism Minister pays surprise visit to Sharm El-Sheikh

Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou embarked on a surprise visit to hotels and tourist destinations in Sharm El-Sheikh to inspect services provided for tourists.

During the visit, Zaazou voiced optimism on restoring international tourist flows to Egypt.

The minister told MENA that he was keen to visit Naama Bay to get to know first-hand about tourists' complaints and the real situation there.

Egypt ministry of tourism setting up new convention centre in Alexandria

Egypt ministry of tourism is setting up a new convention center in Alexandria, the first in the city. The convention center which is expected to be ready in two years, will be able to seat around 1000 people. Speaking exclusively to Financial Express Online, Dr Adel Masry, director, Egyptian Tourism Office, said, "The project will be on the BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer) basis. Egypt already convention centers in Cairo and Luxor. The MICE segment is very important for us and we want to attract more MICE events to Egypt. Luxor has 1500 rooms, Cairo has 3000 and Sharm el Sheikh has 2500 rooms. We are also looking at inviting Indian hotel companies like the Taj Group of Hotels to invest in Egypt."

Egypt Tourism is also planning a promotional campaign specifically for the India market. Dr Masry revealed, "Earlier we had one campaign for all the markets. But now we will have one only for India where we will use well known Indian film celebrities. This promotional campaign will be executed in two phases. We will invest half a million USD in the first phase and one million USD in the second phase. The first phase is expected to roll out by March 2014."

Egypt Tourism will also focus on new products like honeymoon packages, adventure sports like trekking, scuba diving and desert safari's. "We are also looking to promote oases as destinations and as movie locale. Like Sewa one of the four most important oases in Egypt, " Dr Masry added.

Recently in Luxor, 13 travel agents and tour operators from India and the Egypt ministry of tourism signed an MoU to initiate The Million Indian Tourists campaign which will run for two years from September 2014 to September 2017. The initiative will be a threefold joint promotion by the Egypt ministry of tourism, Egyptian tour operators and Indian tour operators. Egypt Tourism will support them by funding 25 per cent of their promotional spending. Some of the Indian tour operators who signed the MoU included Cox and Kings, Thomas Cook, Mercury Travels, Kuoni India, Kesari Tours, Veena World, etc. As part of the initiative the Egypt ministry of tourism has announced the launch of visa on arrival facility with effect from January 1, 2014 for Indian tourists who will come through the travel agents who have signed the MoU. The ministry also announced plans to start direct flights between Delhi and Cairo in January 2014 and depending on the load factors will look at flights from other Indian metros and also code sharing with Indian airline companies.

Egypt hotel practices holistic approach

 Dec 30, 2013

LOS ANGELES, California – Hilton Hurghada Plaza is a resort hotel with 220 rooms, covering 50,000m2 of beachside and fringed by turquoise waters. The hotel’s General Manager, Mr. Mehdi Othmani is an experienced practitioner when it comes to providing a holistic approach to people and place, as well as delivering quality service.

Located not far from the colorful markets of downtown Hurghada on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, Hilton Hurghada Plaza offers an extraordinary range of vacation experiences. From snorkeling and diving with turtles and dolphins, to exploring the islands of the Red Sea. Or back on land, off-road treks across the Egyptian Desert followed by a sunset dinner among the dunes.

"Sustainability and conservation are embedded into the fabric of Hilton Worldwide and my team at Hilton Hurghada Plaza proves its commitment to essential green methods each and every day,” says Mr. Othmani. “We are proud to be the first Hilton Worldwide hotel in Europe, Middle East and Africa to be awarded Green Globe certification and, as such, be a standard bearer for environmentally friendly business practice within the company.”

Vice President of Operations, Hilton Worldwide Egypt & Levant. Mr. Christian Muhr sees the certification as an important part of the group’s ongoing success, “At Hilton Worldwide; sustainability is one the pillars to the success of our ‘Travel with Purpose’ business approach and we have adapted standards for measuring sustainable practices just like in any other area of our business.

“The Green Globe certification is testament to Hilton Hurghada Plaza’s success of balancing quality service with new sustainable practices and the real life implementation of these standards. It is a paramount vision that all of our Egypt hotels follow the robust internal and external sustainability measures we have in place for our everyday business,” concluded Mr. Muhr.

Green Globe CEO, Mr. Guido Bauer is proud to welcome Hilton Hurghada to the ranks of its Green Globe certified hotels and resorts, “While Egypt’s tourism sector continues to meet ongoing challenges, the Red Sea destination allows travelers the chance to enjoy the bio-diverse beauty of the country’s marine sites, alongside the unique landscapes of its deserts.

“From our past experience working with Hilton, we already understood that the hotel group has in place its own Global Sustainability Policy and uses a bespoke sustainability management tool, ‘Lightstay’ to document, benchmark and monitor their hotels’ usage of utilities and waste management practices. It is therefore not surprising that in its first year of certification, Hilton Hurghada Plaza has already achieved 76% against the Green Globe Standard.

“I enthusiastically congratulate Hilton Hurghada Plaza on their certification. Their compliance rating is among the best of our first-year performers. I particularly note that the average service of employees at this hotel is around 9 years. This is a clear indication that Hilton Hurghada Plaza is committed to its people, as well as forging a prosperous future on Egypt’s unique Red Sea,” added Mr. Bauer.

ABOUT HILTON HURGHADA PLAZA HOTEL

Overlooking the Red Sea, the Hilton Hurghada Plaza Hotel offers breathtaking views. Located on a private beach, the resort is just three minutes from downtown Hurghada, Egypt. Hurghada International Airport is 15 minutes away.

Savor sea views on the balcony from all 220 guest rooms and suites at this waterfront resort. From casual beachfront dining to romantic candlelit meals, the resort offers a wide choice to suit all occasions. Refresh by the pool with hearty snacks or indulge in gourmet cuisine while gazing across the Red Sea.

Spend leisurely days on the private beach and enjoy diving and water sports in the Red Sea. Work out at the gym and plunge into the outdoor pool. Stay active with a game of tennis, squash or beach volleyball. Simply relax in the sauna and whirlpool or with a massage at the spa. Children will love the kids’ pool and kids’ club.

Host a memorable business meeting, function or wedding overlooking the Red Sea. Entertain up to 130 guests on the private beach or 220 in the Plaza Ballroom. The hotel boasts a business center, 24-hour internet café, and wireless internet access throughout.

@http://www.eturbonews.com/41243/egypt-hotel-practices-holistic-approach