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Egypt launches new initiative to support tourism

January 14, 2021 at 8:00 am

Camel trainers ride camels awaiting tourists by the Pyramid of Khafra at the Giza Pyramids Necropolis on 7 January 2021 [AMIR MAKAR/AFP via Getty Images]

Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Tarek El-Molla announced on Tuesday a reduction in aviation fuel prices, as part of a government initiative to support the country’s tourism sector.

In an official statement, El-Molla conveyed that the programme would cut aviation fuel prices to 15 cents per gallon, adding that it would go into effect “starting on 21 January until the end of the year.”

“The initiative comes as part of the Egyptian government’s efforts to revive the country’s tourism and aviation sectors as they plunged following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus,” the minister pointed out.

Egyptian Minister of Tourism Khaled El-Anany told reporters that the move would increase tourist influx to Egypt through: “Stimulating international air carriers to increase the number of daily trips to Egypt’s tourist destinations. The civil aviation activity has a direct impact on the Egyptian tourism sector.”

The Egyptian tourism sector – one of Egypt’s primary sources of foreign currency and a major pillar of economic growth – has been significantly affected by the coronavirus after air traffic was restricted to limit the spread of the virus.

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