The Egyptian Tourist Authority is working on a “masterplan” to develop the Mediterranean coastline of the country for the first time.
The White Med coastline, which stretches from El Alamein to the small harbour town of Marsa Matruh, will see a 40-mile beachfront development.
Minister of Tourism Zoheir Garranah said: “This will be the next hot destination for British people. It will be one of the most beautiful destinations in Egypt.”
While the blueprint for the White Med will not be ready until October 2010, some 15,000 hotel rooms are already under construction in the region.
Thomson Airways is to launch direct flights from Gatwick and Manchester to Marsa Matruh from May 2010.
UK visitor numbers to Egypt are continuing to rise, with current figures up 8% on last year. A total of 988,525 Brits travelled to Egypt between January and September this year, while 1.2 million visited the country last year.
However, revenue is 4.5% down on last year and Garranah predicted a tough year for 2010. Challenges for the destination will include the difficult economic climate, the H1N1 virus and CO2 taxes.
“It could be a very difficult year and we have to prove ourselves to retain market share,” he said.
The Tourist Authority will continue to support tour operators next year by subsidising their ad campaigns, he added.
It is also getting ready to launch its ‘Where it All Begins’ ad campaign, including a new logo, TV advertising and a new interactive website.