The Egyptian authorities have decided to cancel the visa fee for Russians, which previously had to be paid upon arrival in the country. Now, during the entire tourist season, Russian citizens who have bought vouchers from tour operators have the opportunity to save on their vacation without compromising its quality. The fee has been canceled for the period from June 1 to August 31, 2012.
Due to the instability of the political situation, the tourist flow of Russians to Egypt in 2011 slightly decreased. To help restore it, the country's government decided to abolish the $ 15 visa fee. An important detail of the decision is the fact that the cancellation of the fee is provided only for organized tourists.
Tour operators from the Russian side have explained what is meant by organized tourism. To do this, it is not necessary to travel as part of a group, it is enough to purchase a ticket from a tour operator.
Representatives of the Russian tourism industry note that the obstacle on the way to visiting Egypt was, of course, not the $ 15 visa fee, in the instability of the political situation. But such an initiative on the part of Egypt suggests that the country is ready to receive vacationers and is trying to attract them, demonstrating its location to tourists. Of course, this initiative should be regarded as a very benevolent step by the government of the country towards the holidaymakers. This means that everything is being done to restore calm in the country and maintain the safety of tourists.
Previously, each guest in Egypt had to pay a visa fee of $ 15 upon arrival at the airport. The decision to cancel the collection was made on June 1, but due to coordination with the Cabinet of Ministers and some other formalities, it came into force only on June 10.
Egypt has taken similar steps to accommodate tourists from other countries, similarly canceling the visa fee for them.
Russian citizens make up a significant part of the tourist flow in Egypt, but in 2011 the number of tourists from our country decreased by a third in comparison with 2010. In 2012, Egypt is planning to restore the tourist flow. Based on the results of the first quarter of 2012, these plans have every chance of being implemented. The number of tourists increased in comparison with 2011 by more than 100%.
