Egypt — especially Sharm El Sheikh — is one of the top-growing tourism markets in the MENA region this year, Colliers International MENA senior manager James Wrenn tells Hotelier Middle East. Egypt saw 22.6% y-o-y revenue per available room (RevPAR) growth in 3Q2019, STR Global data showed. According to Colliers, the country’s total RevPAR growth for the whole of 2019 is expected to reach 30%, marking a huge leap compared to previous years.

Hotel operators plan expansions in Egypt: Marriott representative Alex Kyriakidis termed Egypt a key market, to which the hotel operator is planning to add four more hotels in five years. Hilton and InterContinental, likewise, have substantial growth plans, with the intention of increasing their presence in Egypt, where they plan to add 10 new hotels, and Morocco, where six new hotels are in the pipeline. The 41% y-o-y increase in the number of tourists visiting Egypt in 2018 is giving people within the industry increased confidence and a push to expand their presence, said Hilton vice president of operations for Egypt and North Africa Mohab Ghali.