That was the message from Amr El Ezabi, director of UK and Ireland for the Egyptian State Tourist Authority, after the country lost its second largest British tour operator.
“It’s a real pity – I can’t understand how this has been allowed to happen,” El Ezabi told TTG.
“Egypt has had an excellent long-term relationship with Thomas Cook dating to the 1860s.
“They were the second-largest provider of holidaymakers to Egypt from the UK – and they were expanding in Egypt, they were planning new hotel openings.”
Cook opened its seventh Cook’s Club property in El Gouna in August, and was due to open a new family-friendly Casa Cook property in the Red Sea resort this winter with more than 50% of its Egypt bookings coming from families.
El Ezabi said while there would undoubtedly be a “period of disturbance” for all package travel operators due to the shockwaves from Cook’s collapse, he didn’t feel it would last long.
“The capacity will be filled by other tour operators,” he said. “There are a lot of strong ones in the UK like Tui and Red Sea Holidays.
“Of course, easyJet is developing a tour operation so that may be an opportunity.
“Jet2 might think about Egypt too. There are a lot of prospects for us. It’s our job to accelerate these opportunities for this country.”
