Is tourism in Egypt a crisis of management, a crisis of
societal awareness, or deliberate neglect?
Introduction
Tipping, random behaviors, a mentality of extortion, various forms of
fraud, poor treatment of tourists, and a lack of free services are all
obstacles and difficulties for tourism in Egypt, a country with a captivating
history. Does Egypt need a roadmap to save tourism and address these behaviors?
And how can Egypt regain its tourist status
First – A look at tourism in Egypt:
1. The potential to make Egypt one of the leading tourist destinations and
generate the highest returns.
2. Diverse tourism offerings (archaeological, historical, religious,
therapeutic, and beach tourism), along with a unique geographical location and
climate.
3. A skilled and unskilled workforce with expertise in various tourism
sectors.
Question: So why is Egypt
ahead of countries with fewer resources? The reasons are as follows:
1. For many years, Egypt relied on a single-product tourism product,
focusing primarily on cultural (archaeological) or beach tourism.
2. Other countries excelled in creating comprehensive tourism experiences
(entertainment, shopping, arts and sports events, conference tourism, and other
activities).
3. Today's tourist is not simply looking to see a statue; they seek a
comfortable and enjoyable experience from the moment they arrive at the airport
until their departure, enjoying excellent and complimentary services.
4. Weak public awareness, such as harassment in archaeological sites,
aggressive sales tactics, and a lack of understanding that tourists are guests
of the country, all impact their online reviews of tourism, a key driver of the
national economy.
5. Stability: Tourism is a highly sensitive industry. Egypt has
experienced political and security upheavals in previous decades, affecting the
sustainability of its growth plans, while competing countries have enjoyed
stability that has enabled them to build a strong brand.
6. Infrastructure and digital services: Easy access to
transportation, high-quality public transport, and readily available digital
applications for booking everything are factors that attract the "current
generation" of tourists who prefer independent travel without tour
operators.
Question: Who is responsible
for the decline of tourism in Egypt? And who is responsible for disrupting
direct and indirect job opportunities? The answer is up to you.
Second – Tourism: Industry, Art, and Management:
1. Facilitating the tourist's daily life from arrival to departure.
2. Seeking carefully planned and calculated tourism diversity.
3. Ensuring that tourism is a comprehensive industry and investment, not
merely a service ministry, but an art and a management system.
4. Preventing commercial fraud and the exploitation of tourists by
merchants and shop owners in exchange for commissions.
5. Developing hotels and museums, streamlining visa procedures, enhancing
services, and improving infrastructure comprehensively.
6. Recognizing the importance of tourist surveys, requiring a thorough
review of all their findings, addressing any problems, and implementing the
proposed solutions.
7. Ensuring immediate and decisive monitoring, deterrence, and punishment
of violators in tourist areas, airports, and other locations.
8. Launching sustainable public awareness campaigns: integrating
"Tourism Awareness" into educational curricula and intensifying media
campaigns to explain how "tourist safety and comfort" are national
and economic security concerns for every Egyptian household.
9. Ensuring that the role of the tourism police is satisfactory and not a
source of problems in the tourism sector. • Undercover Tourist Police
(Trained): Plainclothes tourist police officers will be present among tourists
to monitor for extortion, begging, and harassment, and to apprehend
perpetrators in the act.
Tourist Offices:
Competition in providing diverse
services to tourists, especially free services; the availability of honest and
competitive tour packages at reasonable prices with free facilities and
services; and competition in promoting various tourist attractions.
Tourism Promotion:
1. Continuous and scheduled improvement of the infrastructure of various
tourist sites.
2. Attention to domestic tourism for citizens and residents, offering
affordable prices for everyone.
3. Provision of government facilities, licenses, and other support to
tourist office owners to ensure the quality of their work.
4. Provision of government facilities to various businesses participating
in the tourist season to ensure the quality of their work.
5. Government recognition of residential areas with a good urban character
and a high level of public cleanliness.
Addressing Tourism Sector
Issues:
1. Regulating the informal tourism market, provided it prevents commercial
fraud, price gouging, and extortion.
2. Enforcing the law prohibiting entry to any vendor, camel driver, or
other individual found to be harassing or deceiving tourists in archaeological
sites. Such individuals will be permanently banned from entering the area and
have their licenses revoked.
3. Improving Human Resources: Enhancing the salaries of airport
and tourist site staff, and implementing a system of rewards and penalties
(generous bonuses for outstanding performance and immediate dismissal of
extortionists).
4. Managing tourist sites with skill and efficiency, not just revenue
collection, while providing logistical services that ensure tourist comfort
(such as umbrellas, seating, drinking water, restrooms, and digital signage).
5. Implementing Mandatory Pricing and Digital Payments: Gradually
eliminating cash transactions in transportation and tourist attractions. (For
example, implementing a taxi system using pre-set fares via smart applications,
and booking tickets for attractions and training courses online).
6. Instant Hotline (QR Code): Widely display posters at airports, hotels,
and archaeological sites containing a QR code that allows tourists to file
immediate complaints in both Arabic and English. These complaints will be
received by a relevant tourism authority, which will then take immediate action
to address the issue.
7. Outsourcing Services: Public restrooms, restaurants, and cleaning
services at archaeological sites should be outsourced to professional
international or local private sector companies. These services should be
provided free of charge to tourists (the cost of which is included in the basic
entrance ticket), and their quality should be inspected daily.
8. Addressing Low Wages and Lack of Training: Many frontline tourism
workers (laborers, drivers, security personnel) receive low wages and have not
received any professional training on tourist psychology or how to represent
the country. They often view tourists as an opportunity to supplement their
income.
Thirdly – In conclusion:
1. Tourism requires a strategic and operational management approach, even
more so than resources, and a societal awareness of its importance to the
national income.
2. Tourism means direct and indirect job opportunities, economic support,
efficient operational plans, and impact measurement.
3. Tourism is not simply about tourists arriving and leaving; it is the
engine of operation for hotels, restaurants, transportation, and handicrafts.
Obstacles and Difficulties of
a Tourist's Daily Life:
1. A tourist might overlook a modest hotel, but they will never overlook
feeling "targeted" or unwelcome.
2. Chaos and Harassment in Archaeological Sites: Camel drivers, carriage
owners, and street vendors engage in aggressive solicitation, harassment, and
sometimes price gouging.
3. The Preconceived Notion of the Wealthy Customer: Arab tourists often
suffer from the preconceived notion that they have excess wealth, leading to
inflated tourist prices even in modest establishments.
4. Lack of Free Basic Services: Clean and free public restrooms are scarce
in the streets and archaeological sites. Even when available, tourists are
often surprised to find someone demanding money for entry or for a toilet
paper.
5. Commercial Fraud and Currency Exploitation: Due to currency exchange
rates, some merchants sell goods and services (such as taxis and non-tourist
restaurants) at prices many times higher, exploiting foreigners' lack of
familiarity with local prices.
6. The Culture of "Forced Tipping" (Disguised Begging): Tipping
has transformed from an optional reward for excellent service into an
"obligatory duty" demanded by elevator operators, drivers, janitors,
and even security guards, often with a sense of urgency and psychological
pressure.
7. Difficulty in Independent Movement: Foreigners love independent travel,
but in Egypt, they face difficulty using public transportation due to the lack
of English signage, making them easy prey for unlicensed or unregulated taxi
drivers.
8. Harassment in Nightlife and Entertainment Venues: Some young people or
Arab families are subjected to "extortion" or financial extortion in
some popular cafes and nightlife venues through fabricated bills or demands for
money under various pretexts.
9. Airport Shock (First Impression): The journey sometimes begins with
"artificial friendliness" from some airport staff, aimed at obtaining
"tips" for services that are part of their job (such as handling
luggage or completing procedures), immediately creating the impression that
everything comes at a price.
Neglecting to read the tourist
questionnaire:
When can we benefit from a tourist's experience or daily observations
(opinions, notes, recommendations)? Upon arrival at the airport, before
departure, when renting an apartment/accommodation, and regarding negative
aspects of streets, public places, taxis, buying and selling, price
differences, and other matters.
Research and preparation by: Badr Al-Din Ahmed
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