Basel al-Sisi, head of the Egyptian Travel Agents Association’s religious tourism committee, said middlemen get between 5-10 percent of the costs of Umrah, or minor pilgrimage, as pilgrims do not head directly to the tourist agents, who are in turn unable to reach all those who want to perform pilgrimage.
He added that this would make some pilgrims, who deal with middlemen, unable to get all their rights.
Sisi also indicated an increase in flight tickets during the pilgrimage season by LE250, compared to last year's prices.
Around 800,000 pilgrims performed the lesser pilgrimage so far this year, he said, an increase from last year’s rate.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
