Misr Travel, which specialises in religious tourism, is negotiating with Toyota to buy four new tour buses in early 2017.
Dina Tadros, general manager of Misr Travel, said that the company plans to increase the units of its fleet next year to boost its domestic tourism services.
She told Daily News Egypt that her company had retired 12 large buses, due to the decline in tourism, given that there have been no large groups opting to use the company’s service.
The company prefers buying large imported buses, despite the high cost, owing to the higher quality and lower maintenance, said Tadros.
Tadros added that the current volatility exchange rates after the flotation of the pound and lack of tourists delayed the deal, causing the company to wait until early 2017.
She stressed that her company has invested its fleet in implementing domestic tours throughout last year to avoid losses.
Moreover, she pointed out that her company did not suffer from a significant decline in tourists, given that the company is specialised in religious tourism, which has largely not been affected by the political turmoil. She explained that even though many European countries suspended direct flights to Egypt following the Russian aeroplane crash at the end of October 2015, the company still saw an influx of tourists from France and Italy.
Tadros also noted that inbound religious tourism from Canada was hardly affected.
Misr Travel started working in Egypt 20 years ago, specialising particularly in religious and cultural tourism from Europe and Canada.
