After numerous meetings with concerned agencies and tour operators, the Egyptian authorities has now decided to suspend the obligatory visa for individual tourists at entry ports until the e-visa system is installed.
“It was a wise decision in favor of tourism and foreign cash reserves,” said Elhamy al-Zayat, chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Federation.
“It avoided some US$4 billion in losses,” said Hossam al-Shaer, member of the Federation of Chambers of Tourism, adding that the concerned authorities should devise a proper e-visa system in order to avoid negative repercussions in the future.
Mustafa Sultan, chairman of the e-tourism department, praised the decision. “We now need a working group to handle the technical part of the e-visa system so as to protect the tourists from fraud websites,” he said.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
