The Supreme Council of Antiquities decided to cut fees imposed on those filming for screen or television in deserts located on archaeological sites by 50%, according to a release issued by the Chamber of Tourism Companies to its members.
This decision will contribute to the recovery of inbound tourism to Egypt. It is one of the best decisions to promote tourism during the coming seasons, according to Khalid El-Manawy, former chairperson of the Chamber of Tourism Companies and Travel Agencies. Egypt is rich in monuments that cinema companies throughout the world look for, he added.
Many countries have been able to successfully use their monuments and cultural heritage sites to promote tourism through TV and film. Turkey succeeded in attracting tourism from Arab countries through the popularity of their TV series and films, according to former chairperson of the Egyptian Tourism Federation (ETF) Elhamy El–Zayat.
He continued that some countries establish cities to look similar to the Egyptian Pharaonic model and promote these sites to boost tourism to their countries. Therefore, it is better to take advantage of Egypt’s archaeological sites for the promotion of tourism within Egypt.
The income from tourism declined about $835m during the first five months of this year, a decrease of 62% compared to the same period last year.
The decision would be a great leap in tourism promotion processes during the coming period, especially in the areas with temples and monuments like Luxor and Aswan, said El-Zayat.
Occupancy in Luxor and Aswan ranges between 15% and 20%, according Tharwat Al-Agamy, member of the Chamber of Tourism Companies. He added that a rise in tourism and increased bookings are expected at the end of October.
Al-Agamy also said that there is a growth in bookings for many of the tourist areas in Luxor and Aswan, especially near the archaeological sites in Aswan. Tourist flow into Luxor and Aswan in expected to increase from October to March 2017.
