Erkan Yıldırım, CEO of Rixos Hotels Egypt, who attended the WTM London Fair, made exclusive statements to Tourism Today News. Stating that negotiations are in full swing to further expand Rixos Hotels Egypt, Erkan Yıldırım said: “As Rixos, we will increase the number of hotels here to 16-17 within two years. The number of our rooms will be 12 thousand.”

Erkan Yıldırım, CEO of Rixos Hotels Egypt, firstly stated that Egypt has recorded a rapid growth in the British market. “Egypt is one of the main destinations for the British,” Yıldırım said, ”Because Egypt is a destination that can be traveled 12 months a year due to its climate. The British already love sea, sand and sun vacations. In Egypt, 360 out of 365 days are sunny. Of course, Egypt is not only about this. It has a lot of historical and cultural richness. It also offers a diving opportunity rivaling the Maldives. We want to be at all strategic points in Egypt. It is a safe and peaceful place. It has a very large population. In terms of location, it is very close to Europe and the CIS market. It is a point that we can call the gateway to Africa.”

“THIS PROJECT WILL BE A GAME CHANGER”

Speaking about the growth strategy and targets of Rixos Hotels in Egypt, Erkan Yıldırım said that Egypt is the destination where Rixos is growing the fastest. Stating that they opened 7 facilities in Egypt within 8 months and that more will follow, Yıldırım said, “We opened the first phase of Rixos Radamis, which consists of 2 hotels and private villas. Within 3 months, we will put into operation the 780-room facility, which is one of the seaside hotels. This is not just a project consisting of hotels and rooms. It is a project we call 'destination within a destination'. We have thematic rooms, family and adult hotels will also be included in this project. There will be shopping centers, nearly 40 restaurants, cafes, bars, casinos, congress centers and shops located outdoors. There will also be a large aquapark and a thematic park with a large rollercoaster. It is only 10 minutes from the airport. None of the hotels in the complex will compete with each other. It will be the biggest project not only in Egypt but also in North Africa and the Middle East. It will be completed by the end of 2026. It is a project of over 1 million m2 and will correspond to approximately 3,500 rooms. In this respect, we can say that it is the biggest investment in this geography. It will be the biggest project of Rixos and Accor in terms of resorts. It is a project that will change the rules of the game.”

“WE WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF HOTELS TO 16-17”

Erkan Yıldırım said that the Egyptian government attaches great importance to tourism investments and supports them. “We are also growing in other destinations in Egypt such as Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada and Alexandria. Recently, Egypt is establishing a new Dubai in the Mediterranean. We currently have 2 hotels and nearly 2 thousand rooms in the El Alamein region. It is one of the regions where we are growing fast. We will also open a hotel in Alexandria, the second largest city in Egypt. We will finish the first part by the end of this year. It will be a project to be opened in stages and when all of them are finished, it will become a project with 600-800 rooms in total. It will be on a 1 million m2 area, in the most special region of Egypt. Apart from this, our negotiations continue for projects in more central and historical places such as Luxor and Aswan in Cairo. As Rixos, we will increase the number of our hotels here to 16-17 within two years. The number of our rooms will be 12 thousand.”

“EGYPT IS A PROMISING COUNTRY”

The veteran tourism executive said that as Rixos, they believe in the future of Egypt. Yıldırım said, “Egypt hosted nearly 15 million tourists last year. This is actually not a very sufficient number for a country with such potential. The target is to increase this number by 25-30% next year and increase the number of tourists to 20 million. Egypt is a promising country. As Rixos, we believe in the future of Egypt.”

“WE SELL OUR EXPERIENCE TO THE WORLD”

Erkan Yıldırım also underlined the following in his statements: “When we say that Rixos has opened a hotel, it is thought that we are investing and investing money. In fact, we are the sole operators in Egypt. We sell our experience and expertise to the world. What we do is the same as what international companies do.”