In the first official comment on a viral video showing the tilting of a floating tourist hotel in Luxor, the head of the Central Administration for Hotel Establishments Mohamed Amer confirmed on Tuesday that the hotel is unlicensed and had no tourists.
The hotel did not sink or sail in the first place, according to Amer, and has been completely out of operation since 2010.
Its tourism license has not been renewed in that time, he explained, nor has it received any Egyptian or foreign guests in over 13 years.
The hotel has not received any Egyptian or foreign guests for more than 13 years, he added.
Before the tilt incident, the aforementioned hotel was being rehabilitated and renovated so that it could operate during the next winter season, he explained after which the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities was going to conduct the necessary inspections before renewing its licensed.
Amer added that no inspections have been conducted by the ministry to re-open the hotel.
The hotel titled while it was parked in preparation for the start of conducting inspections by some concerned and relevant authorities, he added.
The Ministry of Transport, represented by the General Authority for River Transport, confirmed that the floating hotel had been out of operation since 2010, and its owner had submitted a request to the authority to repair it.
He was allowed to lift the unit on dry land in one of the specialized workshops approved by the General Authority for River Transport where it was being rehabilitated.
After completing the upgrading and repair work, the hotel was inspected by the General Authority for River Transport and was allowed on August 23 to be returned to water until the rest of the necessary licenses are completed, the General Authority for River Transport explained.
While the floating hotel was parked at the marina, it tilted to one side, which led to it settling on the bottom of the marina without completely sinking, it added.
The General Authority for River Transport concluded saying that it is awaiting the Public Prosecution’s investigation to determine the reasons behind the incident.
