Get Bedazzled on the Nile...

Operating an elegant and luxurious fleet of three cruise vessels plying the Nile, Mayfair Cruises is one of the top river cruise operators in Egypt. With great expectations from the India market, Maggie Petrova, Commercial Director, Mayfair Cruises, was in Mumbai recently to share more about their product portfolio and their readiness for the India market as she invites more Indians to visit Egypt and unravel the mysteries of the Nile, on-board one of their luxurious vessels.

- Prashant Nayak

2022 has been a rewarding year for tourism in Egypt, says Maggie. 2022 was expected to be a better year as compared to 2021. However, they were not expecting the figures to be as good as they were. In some regions, they surpassed the pre-COVID levels, which indeed was remarkable.

All three Mayfair cruise vessels, M.S. Mayflower, M.S. Mayfair, and M.S. Esplanade were running with good occupancy without running any special promotions or offers. Maggie states, "This only reflects that the worldwide interest in Egypt has increased. People are now booking their Egyptian vacations and adventures four to six months in advance, which is a new trend."

"When it comes to Indian travellers, we have noticed that they book at the very last minute. However, we have also noticed that some discerning Indian travellers looking for quality experiences are booking two to three months in advance," Maggie added.

Mayfair Cruises has always been very proactive when it comes to discovering and approaching business potentials from around the world. India blinked on their radar way back in 2019, and they had drawn strong plans to enter the market in 2020. Unfortunately, COVID put them on hold for quite some time. When Maggie visited India back in October 2022, she was not sure about the market. However, with the way the tourism business has been recovering and growing in India, she is convinced about the India market and its tourism potential. For her, India, with its growing economy, looks promising and cannot be ignored. "Lots to work on, but cannot be ignored," remarks Maggie.