Can new Russian Consulate boost tourism in Egypt's Hurghada?
The Egyptian tourism sector is looking to Russia to boost the industry after a major decline following a Russian plane crash in 2015.
A new Russian Consulate opened in the Red Sea resort town of Hurghada with the aim of reinvigorating Egyptian tourism. Tourism declined when Russian flights were suspended after a Russian plane crashed over the Sinai Peninsula in October 2015.
Experts say that the opening of the new consulate may facilitate the return of Russian tourism to Egypt after more than a year hiatus, which has put much pressure on the country’s tourism industry.
“The opening of the consulate is a positive step toward the recovery of a tourist industry that has been hit hard by the deadly crash of a Russian plane in Sinai in October 2015 and the suspension of all Russian flights to Egyptian airports,” Hossam Akawy, a tourism expert and a member of the Tourism Investors Association in the Red Sea, told Al-Monitor.
Akawy said that Hurghada has long been a popular tourist destination for Russians. Establishing a consulate there will help serve the large number of Russian civilians who reside in Hurghada, and it will also draw in many Russian tourists.
