Paldi
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism has done a tremendous job of
marketing Egypt outside the box. Instead of just spending millions
on advertising, they are inviting National Geographic, the
Discovery Channel, the History Channel, to do endless stories about
Egypt and its history, and giving them access to areas that are
closed to the public. So, in any given week, there is always a
program on Egypt on TV.
What’s new and interesting in Egypt travel?
The new thing that we are really excited about is the city of
Alexandria on the Mediterranean Coast and the Western Desert, which
is an almost totally virgin area for American tourism.
Sand dunes in the Qattara Depression
in Egypt’s Western Desert.
We spend three to seven nights in the desert. You’re in a Range
Rover or another 4X4 vehicle with a Bedouin driver. It’s really
like taking a trip back in a time machine. There’s hardly any
modern technology no cell phones. Other than one very upscale hotel
in the village of Siwa, the accommodations are very basic.
You probably get a little dirty.
Yes, but then you go back to your nice Four Seasons or Sofitel
and you get your shower and massage and you’re back to normal.
What kind of client does the Western Desert appeal
to?
A person who has a sense of adventure and is open minded. Maybe
somebody on a second or third visit to Egypt who wants to explore
something new. Or somebody who’s gone trekking in South America or
Southeast Asia.
How’s the food?
It’s very local and very healthy. You don’t see overweight
people in the desert.
And what’s going on in Alexandria?
There are now some decent hotels in Alexandria. They opened a
Four Seasons a few months ago. The Renaissance is a wonderful
property, so is the Sheraton. There’s more to do now. The new
library opened in 2002 with the intention of becoming the biggest
library in the world. Just the architecture itself is amazing. They
enlarged the road from Cairo so it’s a full freeway now. It’s a 3½
hour drive, so it can be a day trip from Cairo, or you can spend
the night.
What kind of special things do you do for clients in
Egypt?
You get your own private van and a guide with a degree in
Egyptology. We also have logistical people. The only thing they do
is take care of the welfare of passengers. Each time we take a
person to a hotel, the rep waits to see if they like the room. If
you don’t, tell us now so we can do something about it.
Anything new in regard to flights?
Delta will restart a nonstop flight from JFK to Cairo in early
June. It will be the first American carrier flying to Cairo since
Sept. 11. Egypt Air has increased its capacity. They now fly daily
to Cairo.
