Egypt hopes Israeli tourists will make up losses from Ukraine war
At a time when Egypt’s tourism sector has suffered a setback due to the war in Ukraine, the first direct flight from Israel is set to land in Sharm el-Sheikh this month, which may boost the number of Israeli tourists in the Egyptian coastal resorts in the Sinai Peninsula.
Egypt is currently looking for alternative tourist markets as part of a government plan to increase the number of tourists in a bid to save the vital sector that has been affected by Russia's war on Ukraine.
The war halted the flow of tourists from the two countries, which makes up a third of the total number of tourists in Egypt annually, pointing to a real crisis in the tourism sector.
Tourism accounts for nearly 12% of Egypt's gross domestic product and is one of the main sources of foreign currency in a country whose economy is already under pressure amid unprecedented inflation.
Meanwhile, Egypt and Israel agreed last month to operate direct flights between Tel Aviv and Sharm el-Sheikh in the south of the Sinai Peninsula where Egypt’s top resorts overlook the Red Sea.
