Egypt sent a positive and humanitarian signal to the world when it hosted stranded Ukrainian tourists for free, tourism expert Rami Fayez told Shorouk News on Saturday.
The Ministry of Tourism has mandated three-star hotels to accommodate tourists and provide them with full board, with all tourist destinations open to them at no extra cost, said Rami Fayez, board member of the Red Sea Hotel Chamber.
He added that Russian tourists still come to Egypt, but in modest numbers. Russian and Ukrainian tourists coexist in the same places in the Red Sea resorts, but no unrest has been observed, according to Fayez, who said “there is a huge difference between governments and peoples.”
The impact of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict on the Egyptian tourism industry is being studied as the number of tourists from Eastern Europe is declining amid the suspension of flights in some countries and the fear of tourists to fly.
Russia and Ukraine have been among the largest markets for the Egyptian tourism industry, with 500,000 Ukrainian tourists and 681,000 Russian tourists visiting Egypt in 2022, Fayez said.