Egypt's Jan. 25 revolution became known to some as the "Facebook revolution," for the role social media played in helping organizers communicate.
And as tour operators and travel companies are trying to reignite business to Egypt, they, too, are using Facebook, YouTube and other social media tools to communicate to clients the situation on the ground.
"Big Five was one of the first companies returning to Egypt and had some of the first Americans on the ground," Ashish Sanghrajka, president of Big Five Tours & Expeditions, said last week. "We actually recorded the audio of our first guests while on tour and posted on Facebook. That audio, plus the tremendous value-adds we are offering in terms of upgrades, has helped our business increase."
Indeed, operators are hoping positive testimonials from clients who have been to Egypt in the aftermath of the revolution, combined with the upgraded services and amenities operators can offer, will help entice travelers back at a time of ongoing uncertainty in Egypt and the region.
"The trip so far has just been fantastic," a Big Five traveler said in an audio interview with the company at the end of April (the complete interview can be found here). "Some of the people may have had some trepidation about coming here, but I can assure you that there's 16 in the group [and] absolutely everybody is just ecstatic. It's just a beautiful country, very friendly people and our tour guide has been just incredible."
Abercrombie & Kent has also used social media to communicate clients' experiences in Egypt. An April 1 post on A&K's Facebook page includes a photo of a family that just returned from Egypt.
"With a newly energized people, a stable political situation and crowd-free sites, this is the moment to experience Egypt," the post states. "One family from the U.S. just returned and told us, 'We decided this was actually the best time to go; so interesting and so much less crowded. We were welcomed like celebrities everywhere we went.'"
As for upgrades, Sanghrajka said it's not uncommon right now for travelers to end up in a better hotel, upgraded hotel room or on a nicer Nile river cruise ship than had been in their initial itinerary.