Resuming Russia-Egypt flights: Why good news to Red Sea tourism?

CAIRO – 26 April 2021: The news of resuming Russian flights to Egypt after 6-year hiatus has been greatly appraised, with workers in the sector expecting the Red Sea tourism to flourish as a result.

Essam Ali, owner of a tourist bazaar in Hurghada, said that Russian tourists love shopping and roaming in the streets of Hurghada.

Before its halt, the Russian tourism used to record 60 percent of the incoming tourism to Hurghada, as the arrival rates exceeded 250 thousand tourists per month.

Mohamed Hassan, the manager of a tourism company, said that “the Russian tourists are the most tourists to stimulate the economic movement in Hurghada streets, as they like to wander a lot around popular areas, buy from bazaars, sit at cafés, and eat Egyptian popular foods, especially falafel.”

“Russian tourists are familiar with the streets and they go and buy whatever they want without the help of the tourism agency or any companion,” Hassan added.

Mohamed el-Sebaay, manager of one of the hotels in Hurghada, said that “the Russian tourists love Hurghada city more than any other city, and this is clear from the incoming tourists rates in 2015, exceeding millions.”

He further noted that Russian tourists, even after they return their country, “they promote for tourism in Egypt without being asked to do that… there were delegations of Russian workers from large companies and factories who used to come to Hurghada with their families on a regular basis.”

Resuming flights

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed in a phone call on Friday to fully resume flights between the two countries, especially to the coastal cities of Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh, after six years of hiatus to these touristic destinations.

Flights between two countries were suspended at late October 2015 after a bomb downed a Russian flight carrying holidaymakers from the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board, mostly Russian tourists. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State terrorist group.

In January 2018, Russia decided to resume the flights to Egypt’s Cairo International Airport after Egypt has been implementing new, tighter security measures at all of its airports to meet the Russian demands necessary for the resumption of flights.

President Sisi welcomes the resumption of flights between Egypt and Russia, hoping that this decision contributes to advancing bilateral relations between the two countries, said Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Radi in a statement on Friday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed that his country is keen to enhance cooperation with Egypt, praising Egypt’s achievements in the fields of economic and social development, besides the establishment of mega national projects.

Putin added that Russia is counting on Egypt's pivotal role in stabilizing its entire regional environment, Radi