GOWAY FAM: There’s no better time to walk like an Egyptian

For those whose bucket list is beckoning, there may be no better time to travel to Egypt – a destination that our recent Goway FAM group found utterly unaffected by the ongoing situation in Gaza, but which is nevertheless experiencing a dip in tourism that has created an unintended silver lining of fewer fellow visitors for those who do go.

Make no mistake: Egypt’s major tourist sites – the Pyramids, Sphinx, two temples of Luxor, and Valley of the Kings and Queens, plus the museums of Cairo (our February Fam group didn’t venture to Abu Simbel) – were busy, but still considerably calmer than last year when Egypt’s record tourism year was interrupted by the outbreak of war between Israel and neighbouring – though distant (from Cairo and the south) – Gaza.

Queues at the tombs of pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings, for example, averaged about two minutes, not 20.

On the Nile, Sonesta St. George 1 Nile cruise ship director of operations Samir Ahdy, laments his half empty vessel empty vessel, but notes it’s great for guests, who can embark and disembark more quickly at stops that typically would be berthed several cruise ships deep (having to cut across multiple decks).

And he importantly notes that staff have not been reduced on his ship due to fewer guests.

“Everyone on this ship will receive 100% amenities and service,” he told Travel Industry Today. “I cannot blame my guests that the ship isn’t fully booked.”

He adds that before the war began in October, it was hard for guests to even find a cabin on the Nile; now there’s ample space and for a correspondingly reduced rate.

Ramez Gameil of Emeco Travel, Goway’s DMC in the country, concurred, noting some clients were also finding their desired land excursions fully booked.

FAM participant Cece Drummond, VP of Strategic Partnerships at TRAVELSAVERS, agrees the diminished crowds and reduced prices are one of the factors making the time “absolutely right” for Egypt, adding, “Jump on it if you can!”

And with space hard to find in Egypt before the Gaza situation, she also believes that pent-up demand for the destination is likely to be even greater for the destination when it’s over.

Indeed, business is already showing signs of ticking up. The Four Seasons Nile Residence in Cairo was full for the first time since before the war when we were there.

And Goway’s Odyssey tours, which will be introduced in the Fall, sold out almost immediately after being launched earlier this year, prompting the addition of more departure dates.

Goway

The success of the small group tours (16 max passengers), which are operated directly by Goway, and offer more time at destination stops while also venturing off the beaten track, suggest that Egypt is clearly gaining traction in the marketplace again, says Renée Stanton-Defaria.

The company’s sales manager notes that Egypt is also a hugely popular in multi-country tours (especially with Israel). But with that tour currently on furlough, customers are pairing with Jordan, Qatar, and, increasingly, Saudi Arabia, she says.

For those choosing Egypt as a standalone, she says private guided tours are recommended, with many options available from Emeco, consolidated by Goway into over a dozen itineraries for the North American market (such as “Egypt for Families”) and listed on its website.

Though everything can be customized, Stanton-Defaria calls the tours on the website a “framework” for basic trip planning, and one that is constantly updated. “It’s like a brochure – we tell people to start there.”

Emeco’s Gameil says the company can arrange a host of specialized activities for any visitor, ranging from cooking classes to meet-the-people encounters, or food tours. Of course, its classic Cairo itineraries naturally call at the Pyramids/Sphinx in Giza, and can include nearby Sakkara (step pyramids) and Memphis, several notable museums (including the partially open, but still spectacular, Grand Egyptian Museum), Citadel of Saladin, Coptic Cairo, El Kalili Market, and more. Mediterranean Alexandria is just afar enough away (about three hours) to be an add-on.

An added bonus of a custom tour (available for one to nine clients; 10-plus constitutes a group) is that clients can choose, for example, a less expensive hotel in Cairo, which will be used for little more than sleeping, and “spend the money elsewhere” – such as on an upgraded Nile cruise, like Sonesta, where the room environment will likely be appreciated more.

In any case, Stanton-Defaria, further notes that in a destination as ancient and specialized as Egypt, “We don’t have guides, we have Egyptologists!”

Another tour amenity not to be underestimated is that guests are met upon arrival – inside customs – by a Goway/Emeco representative and taken directly to their hotel; and, when leaving, ushered through check-in to their flight home.

(With a few words, Gameil, ever the fixer, managed to fast-track me ahead of a daunting line of groups with dozens of boxes and bags to be checked when I was flying out of Cairo).

And, depending on the airline, those encounters can take place at uncomfortable hours (my EgyptAir flight from Toronto arrived at 6 a.m. and departed at 2 a.m.) making the assistance even more welcome. With individual transfers for our group scattered throughout the evening, night, and early morning, we wondered how Gameil got any sleep.

“Egypt is one of those destinations where people want their hand held a little bit more; it immediately makes you feel at ease,” Stanton-Defaria rightly observes.

That includes on the tours throughout, and transfers (by air) to Aswan and Luxor for Nile River cruises – a tour component that Stanton-Defaria encourages anyone visiting Egypt to book.

“The south is more relaxing (than Cairo or Alexandria),” she says. “(A cruise on) the Nile is a nice, relaxing way to see Egypt.”

Now more than ever.