Ramadan Hagagy, member of the Chamber of Tourism Establishments of the Egyptian Tourism Federation, said that the rise of diesel price forced prices up by 15% at least. He explained that companies have three options: cancelling contracts and partially closing establishments, implementing programmes and bearing losses, or amending contracts with foreign tour operators. He noted that if the programmes are implemented and companies bore the difference in diesel fuel, owners of boats would suffer EGP 50,000 losses per week at 50% occupancy rates. He noted that a trip between Luxor and Aswan requires 15,000 litres of diesel at a cost of EGP 60,000 that has now surged to EGP 85,000. He stressed that the Ministry of Tourism cannot be used to postpone the implementation of the decision to increase fuel prices on tourism companies, because it is a state decision and not the Ministry of Tourism role.

Source: Daily News Egypt July 06, 2017 06:33 UTC