A steamboat that is almost 100 years old and was once owned by King Farouk of Egypt is set to again cruise the Nile, offering luxury accommodation and adorned in images of the country's imperial past.
The steamboat, called SS Misr, was originally built by the British Royal Navy in 1918 before being converted into a luxury Nile steamship for King Farouk, who was later overthrown in the revolution of 1952.
Misr is the jewel in the crown of a fleet of cruisers being launched on the Nile by Movenpick Hotels & Resorts, as well as three new hotels on the Red Sea.
"We have a long and successful history in Egypt since 1975 and today [we are] managing 18 hotels, resorts and Nile boats," said Roger Kacou, the senior vice president for Africa at Movenpick.
"This announcement signifies an important step in our dynamic expansion programme that demonstrates our commitment to and total confidence in Egypt's tourism."
Misrhas 16 cabins and eight suites, recreating the splendour of both the British and Ottoman empires, with an art deco finish.
Movenpick, based in Switzerland, will open three resorts on the Red Sea in Hurghada, Abu Soma and Sharm El Sheikh this year, in a huge vote of confidence for the country's ravaged tourism industry. It will also launch three other cruise ships and a sailing boat.
Visitor numbers to Egypt's numerous tourists attractions and resorts have plummeted since the overthrow of the former president Hosni Mubarak in February last year.
The tourism market fell 6.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year after dropping 10.4 per cent in the previous quarter, according to the latest figures from a ministry of planning and international cooperation report, cited by Bloomberg News this week.
The number of visitors to Egypt in the fourth quarter fell 30 per cent to 2.9 million, compared with 4.2 million in the same period a year earlier, according the government's central agency for public mobilisation and statistics.
The country is widely believed to have been in recession for the much of past year as it recovers from the revolution and builds democratic elections.
Movenpick's three hotels on the Red Sea will together offer more than 900 rooms and villas, with the Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh resorts open within weeks.
The upmarket hotel management company predominantly offers five-star accommodation and employs more than 16,000 staff in 70 hotels and resorts in several countries.
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