Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri has declared Algerian tourists exempt from the visa system in Egypt, diplomatic sources told the Algerian daily Al-Nahar. The new rule goes into effect next week and will also apply to Moroccans, Tunisians, Turks and Azerbaijanis.
Only Algerian tourist groups coming to Egypt through tourist agencies by air, land or sea will be exempted from the visa system, however, while tourists entering the country individually will not.
The change is intended to help revive the tourism sector, which witnessed major setbacks due to a deteriorated security situation after the ouster of President Mubarak, said Al-Nahar.
Algerian students who left Egypt after the 25 January revolution largely refuse to come back, said the newspaper, adding that the number of Algerians now in Egypt is as low as 3,500.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
