An influx of Israeli tourists fleeing regional conflict has led to inflated hotel occupancy figures in the Egyptian border towns of Nuweiba and Taba, according to two sources in the tourism sector.
The apparent surge is illusory, as most travelers are only transiting for brief stays before flying out to other destinations, the sources say.
The rush followed Israel's surprise attack on Iran last Friday, which aimed to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The strike killed top Iranian military leaders, including the chief of staff and head of the Revolutionary Guard, as well as several nuclear scientists. Iran responded with waves of missiles and drones targeting Israel.
Sami Suleiman, head of the Taba and Nuweiba Investors Association, told Al Manassa that short-term ‘transit stays’ now account for 60% of current hotel occupancy in Taba. These guests usually remain for no more than two days while awaiting outbound flights, he said.
Suleiman noted that hotel occupancy in the area had already plummeted following Israel's war on Gaza, falling from pre-war levels of 80-90% down to 15-20% at best.
A senior official at the Chamber of Hotel Establishments, speaking on condition of anonymity, corroborated the trend. They said occupancy in Nuweiba and Taba hotels had dropped as low as 5% last month due to the ongoing war on Gaza.
The source described the current uptick as a “mass exodus,” adding that hundreds of Israeli visitors were using Taba and Nuweiba as rest stops before heading elsewhere.
“They consider the hotels mere transit stations,” the official said, stressing that the return of real tourism and sustained hotel occupancy in Nuweiba and Taba depends entirely on the end of regional wars.
Earlier this week, Israel's transport minister Miri Regev announced that Israelis would be barred from leaving the country, except for foreign nationals returning to their countries, including tourists, business travelers, and diplomats. She described the decision as temporary.
In March, tourism investors in Taba, Nuweiba, and Dahab filed complaints with Egyptian authorities after government emergency funds for workers affected by the war on Gaza were delayed. The Emergency Relief Fund under the labor ministry had refused to disburse the 10th round of payments, claiming the war had ended.
Investors called for continued support until the sector fully recovers.
