Unrest leaves Egypt's hotel rooms empty

As tour operators such as Thomas Cook and TUI restrict themselves to Red Sea resorts or cancel trips, analysts expect an erosion in much-needed foreign exchange for the country. Tourism contributes about 7 per cent of Egypt's GDP.

In the capital, Cairo, occupancy rates in hotels fell to 16.6 per cent in July, compared to about 40 per cent in the same period last year, according to STR Global.

At the two Four Seasons hotels, occupancy rates plummeted to 10 to 15 per cent in July and August from about 50 per cent in the first quarter.

"We are mostly getting corporate and government business and not tourists," said Randy Shimabuku, the general manager of the two Cairo properties for Four Seasons.

"Tourism from the Arabian Gulf was starting to come back, but people are looking for stability."

His properties have designed getaway packages targeting the local market and wedding parties.

"We are thinking short-term, Friday to Friday," Mr Shimabuku said last week, referring to relative calm on the two prior Fridays, in part because of Cairo's curfew from 9pm to 6am.

The French luxury brand Sofitel, which owns and operates six properties in the country, reported an 11 per cent occupancy rate at its Cairo property.