The online booking site, Booking.com, announced that it will deal in US dollars for users of the site from Egypt. But Egyptian tourism experts not expecting the influx of foreign tourism to suffer.
Mohamed Farouk, former head of the e-tourism committee at the Chamber of Tourism Companies, revealed that the matter is not only related to the Egyptian destination, but it happens with all countries where the exchange rate differs rapidly comparing to other international currencies.
Farouk added that the impact of the decision on incoming tourism is completely non-existent because the prospective tourist pays in US dollars or euros, and therefore has nothing to do with the value of the exchange rate or any change in it.
He added that with regard to domestic tourism, the volume of users of online booking sites is very small here, and it is better for local tourism to deal directly with tourism companies.
In the same context, Mohamed al-Hassanin, head of the Cultural Tourism Investors Association, said that the volume of incoming tourism comes through tour operators from different markets, and therefore the hard currency is dealt with according to the incoming market.
He added that even if the incoming tourist is independent and makes an electronic reservation by his own, he will not find any change as a result of paying the value of the trip in US dollars or euros.
Hassanin pointed out that the volume of domestic tourism in Egypt is small compared to incoming foreign tourism.
Mohamed Othman, head of the Cultural Tourism Marketing Committee, said that domestic tourism will not be affected by the decision, because it comes in the context of groups through clubs, banks and companies.
He added that the law requires tourism companies and hotels to deal with local tourists in the local currency, otherwise companies and hotels will be subject to investigation and then punishment, which amounts to canceling the license.
Othman stressed that as a result of this legal regulation, domestic tourism that comes through local companies will not be affected by any effect in relation to the price.
