Rixos’s rapid growth in Egypt
Highlighting Rixos Hotels' fast expansion in Egypt, Yıldırım announced that within two years, the company plans to operate at least 16 hotels with 12,000 beds. He also projected an increase in Turkish visitors to Egypt, aiming to grow this year's figure of 50,000 to 75,000 by next year.
“ATF has been extremely productive”
Yıldırım praised the Antalya Tourism Fair (ATF) as highly productive, with over 1,000 companies represented at more than 350 booths. “ATF is a B2B fair, attracting tourism professionals from nearly 50 countries. Both leading domestic and international tour operators attended the event,” he stated.
Next ATF to take place in Sharm El Sheikh in May
Erkan Yıldırım also confirmed that the Africa Tourism Fair, initially introduced as a forum last year, will be held in Sharm El Sheikh on May 19-20. "ATF is organizing this fair as well. Last year’s Africa Tourism Forum attracted around 3,000 attendees. This fair, to be held at Sharm El Sheikh's international convention center, will become a tradition like ATF,” he noted, adding that hosting such events in tourism destinations significantly boosts local promotion efforts.
“Egypt is Rixos’s fastest-growing market”
Yıldırım described Egypt as Rixos’s fastest-growing market, explaining, “We’ve been in Egypt for 12 years. Egypt’s advantages include year-round sunshine, proximity to Europe, and its status as the gateway to Africa. This, combined with our established relationships with tour operators, has streamlined our marketing efforts.”
Seven new hotels in Egypt in eight months
In the past eight months, Rixos has opened seven hotels in Egypt. “We are not only expanding with Rixos hotels but also manage two Swissotel and Golf Beach Resort properties under the Accor brand. We launched Swissotel’s first all-inclusive resort in Sharm El Sheikh under the Rixos umbrella. Currently, we operate 11 hotels in Egypt, totaling 7,000 rooms, with plans to add five more by 2026 to reach 12,000 rooms,” Yıldırım said.
He highlighted Rixos Radamis, an expansive project offering themed parks, a massive aqua park, nearly 40 restaurants and cafes, entertainment centers, shopping areas, and casinos, all located within 10 minutes of Sharm El Sheikh Airport. “Such a destination setup, so close to an airport, is unmatched globally,” Yıldırım added.
62 weekly flights between Türkiye and Egypt
According to Yıldırım, air traffic between Türkiye and Egypt has surged, with 62 weekly flights now connecting the two countries. “Flights are available from Istanbul to Alexandria, with SunExpress starting flights from Izmir and Pegasus launching direct flights from Antalya on October 27. We expect the number of Turkish tourists visiting Egypt to rise from 180,000 last year to 250,000 this year and potentially 500,000 next year,” he remarked.
50,000 Turkish guests expected in Rixos Hotels Egypt by year-end
Rixos’s hotels in Egypt will have hosted 50,000 Turkish guests by the end of this year, with plans to increase this figure to 75,000 in 2025. “In addition to scheduled flights, we’ve secured new charter partnerships with operators like B2B Tour, Jolly, Prontotour, ETS, and Setur, along with online agencies such as TatilBudur and Tatil.com. Next year, Touristica will also begin bringing tourists to Egypt for the first time,” Yıldırım noted, adding that their top markets include the UK, Russia, the Egyptian domestic market, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Türkiye.
