Egypt’s tourism sector is robust enough to absorb the shock of Thomas Cook’s liquidation, says Al Mashat: The recent liquidation of British tour operator Thomas Cook won’t make a significant dent in Egypt’s tourism industry, Tourism Minister Rania Al Mashat said in an interview with Hotelier Middle East. Other tour operators are already in the process of picking up the company’s business in the country, mitigating the impact of any short-term potential slowdown. Al Mashat stressed that Egypt’s tourism sector is robust and growing, which she largely attributed her ministry’s sectoral reform program and efforts to create a brand that connects with travelers from all over the world.

The ministry’s new system to determine hotel star ratings, announced in September, is a bid to increase Egypt’s competitiveness as a destination in line with international standards, Al Mashat added.

A steady industry recovery: In an interview with Bloomberg last week, Al Mashat said that the number of tourist arrivals in Egypt are on track to reach 2010 peak levels by the end of next month, with revenues having already rebounded to previous record levels of USD 12.5 bn in FY2018-2019.