Tour operator Discover Egypt has taken the unusual step of bringing out prices for tours in 2025 as “phenomenal” demand for classical Egypt tours limits remaining availability for this winter.
The move comes as the specialist puts a smaller, five-star Nile cruise ship, Alexander the Great, back on sale after a five year gap following a refurbishment. Sailings start on September 1, 2023, and it can be booked until May 2025.
Discover Egypt would normally have Nile cruises and tours on sale up to autumn next year at this point but has extended this by more than six months to May 2025 due to the resurgence in the destination’s popularity.
Commercial director Philip Breckner said availability for classical Egypt trips for this year, particularly for the popular October to December months, was limited due to surging post-Covid demand and the destination’s popularity with other markets, such as the US.
“This year is already almost booked up and even half-term next February is nearly full,” he said. “We are back to 2019 levels of sales. Sales have just exploded and Egypt is still high on the bucket list.”
Breckner said having product on sale for even further ahead would help agents to secure more bookings.
He said: “It gives people the chance to plan ahead and secure their dream holiday and it will help our trade supporters as they in turn have prices for their clients looking to secure holidays for special dates.”
Breckner added there was pressure on flight capacity, with only one direct flight operating out of the UK to Luxor per week and no charter flights offering the destination as they have done in the past, as well as a lack of domestic flight capacity from Cairo to Luxor as an alternative route. “It’s another reason to book in advance,” he said.
The operator reported an increase in the share of its sales now coming from the trade since Covid as a result of the resurgence in popularity of booking through agents. Pre Covid around half Discover Egypt’s sales came from agents; now it is around 80%.
“Customers have gone back to high street agents and we as a company have seen a vast increase in our retail bookings,” said Breckner.
Discover Egypt specialises in twin and multi-centre holidays, particularly combining Nile cruises or Lake Nasser cruises with city stays in Alexandria, Aswan, Cairo, Luxor, as well as options to add Red Sea resorts.
The operator’s product range includes a 10 night Classic Egypt holiday, from £2,195 including flights, which offers a three night bed and breakfast stay in Cairo to see the Pyramids and Sphinx followed by a seven night full board Nile cruise to ancient sites along the river such as Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan and the Great Dam; the Valley of the Kings, temples of Karnak and Luxor. Departures are on sale are from September this year to May 23, 2025.
Pictured: Abu Simbel Temples in Egypt