Gathering the divers

[gehadoski]

Dear All

I know scuba diving business is not well in after 25th of january. Still some people are afraid of going to Red Sea coast, we need to encourage people (tourists, divers ...etc.) to come and enjoy. Do you still remember when there were a head count for genius record, It was greate. Why don't we (business operators, Diving centers, liveaboard, daily boats owners, Instructors, DMs) choose one day and make a hell of advertisments and promotions for that day? When we mention that there will be something interesting, something like big discount, cleaning day, anything interesting. you will not need to make huge advertisment because it will spread fast. Think about it you will not lose much, but it may give a push for toursim. I suggest that this day is 1st of May because the whole world will be on vacation on that day. what do you think?

 

[Crowley]

gehadoski,

I agree - I really wish there was something we could all do drum up some business here! I don't know what that is, but pretty much anything would be good right now, I think!

Ideas are welcome...

 

[MrsBBC]

I'd be there in a heartbeat without promotional incentive, but the flights are currently over 2-4 times what I have paid for them when I have visited (twice) before. When the prices drop i'm in like Flynn.
The cost of my last dive trip to Dahab probably, including flight, diving, food and accommodation was barely above the price of a return flight at present.

Do you get many divers that turn up on their own and hope to find a buddy? I tend to travel alone.

Nic

 

[Crowley]

For sure here in Sharm we get a lot of solo divers and even if they bring their partner, often that person doesn't dive so same difference. Many insta-buddy teams formed on the first day last through the week, and sometimes later in the evening, occasionally even marriage...

I'm seeing the cost go up here a lot though - although the diving at my place in remains the same price, the hotels and the air fares have become more expensive.

One thing to look at, especially if you know the area a little bit, is booking everything independently. There are a couple of estate agents here who are offering self-catering apartments for 200 - 250 Euros per week which is expensive, but not so expensive as the hotels, I'm thinking. If you're in the UK then the cheapest route we've found is using Easyjet from London to Sharm to Geneva. It may mean a long stop or even overnight in Geneva but it's far cheaper than flying direct from the UK to Sharm - or at least, it was when some of us were making vacation plans this winter. Have a look at dive centre websites and check prices. Add a few hundred Euros for food and beer and it might work out cheaper than the package vacations. Please check carefully though!

 

[MrsBBC]

For sure here in Sharm we get a lot of solo divers and even if they bring their partner, often that person doesn't dive so same difference. Many insta-buddy teams formed on the first day last through the week, and sometimes later in the evening, occasionally even marriage...

I'm seeing the cost go up here a lot though - although the diving at my place in remains the same price, the hotels and the air fares have become more expensive.

One thing to look at, especially if you know the area a little bit, is booking everything independently. There are a couple of estate agents here who are offering self-catering apartments for 200 - 250 Euros per week which is expensive, but not so expensive as the hotels, I'm thinking. If you're in the UK then the cheapest route we've found is using Easyjet from London to Sharm to Geneva. It may mean a long stop or even overnight in Geneva but it's far cheaper than flying direct from the UK to Sharm - or at least, it was when some of us were making vacation plans this winter. Have a look at dive centre websites and check prices. Add a few hundred Euros for food and beer and it might work out cheaper than the package vacations. Please check carefully though!

Flying via Geneva is a fab idea, only yesterday I was grumbling to a mate that it barely cost him anything for his upcoming skiing trip to fly with easyjet to Geneva, if only it was cheaper to Sharm. But I didn't think check Geneva to Sharm.
Geneva to Sharm is less flexible with its dates but has one ways for £25-100 which is much better and definitely worth considering.

Booking independently is definitely my friend.
In 2010, for 10 days, in Dahab, sharing a room/bed with my buddy, our accommodation was <40 Euro each
The flight was <150 Euro return each.
Barely spent any money on food, one meal a day, (occasionally koshari for lunch), a beer and a pipe.

The cost of diving is not prohibitive and I am happy to pay more for diving and for more diving when my money is not being haemorrhaged into transport and accommodation.

If I was used to paying £300-500 for a return flight to Egypt then perhaps I would still be paying it, only very infrequently. But I am used to paying a lot less. If it's going to cost me £300 minimum to Egypt then I would rather pay £550 and go to the Philippines again. (I usually have the luxury of being flexible with dates).

Presumably there are other individuals with similar thoughts, and it affects dive clubs too. When organising dive club trips, cost of flights is one of the most prohibitive factors in getting a group together.

Nic

 

[Crowley]

For my holiday in Switzerland I paid 70 Euros return plus 30 extra for baggage so in total plus taxed it cost 110 Euros. It actually cost me more than that to travel by train from Geneva to Basel return. I actually flew to the UK with KLM and the return flight cost me 220 Euros but that was cheaper and more convenient than traveling 3 hours back to Geneva and flying from there.

I think the tour operators are hedging their bets at the moment, and their 'planes are scheduled 8(ish) months in advance and most of them are already destined for other sunny locations - Fueterventura, Canaries, Ibiza, whatever - and flights to Sharm are not as regular and therefore more expensive. Good options at the moment - at least price wise - involve flying from the UK to either Germany or Switzerland and then on to Sharm from there - look at either EasyJet, or - for the German route, Condor. My cousin visited in January and she paid - I think - 220 English pounds for a return flight to Sharm with Monarch, but I believe this flight only left from Manchester.

Might be a good idea if people posted their own flight experience here. For me - Sharm - Geneva - London is still the cheapest flight option.

Good luck!

C.