Are you someone who has plans to visit Egypt in October? If your answer is yes, then you will want to be aware of the fact that the official fees that are paid to licensed tour guides are increasing. Yes, as announced by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the official fees will be raised, with new minimum rates being set for the services of these tour guides. Here’s all about this development.
Official Fees For Tour Guides To Increase
As revealed in a report by Scene Now, the tour guides who are licensed will be paid more under the new minimum rates for their services. Yes, for a full eight-hour day, they will earn EGP1,800. However, for a half-day shift, which covers four consecutive hours, they will earn EGP1,100. These adjustments in the fees were made after the rate was previously adjusted in 2023. Yes, the fee for a full day stood at EGP1,000 and the fee for a half day was EGP600.
Tourism Set To Boom
As it happens, the directive of the government aims to be enforced through official channels. However, there will be fixed penalties for tour operators or agencies that do not comply with this rule. Not to mention, key industry groups that represented guides and travel companies have been coordinated with for this decision.
It should be noted that tourism is quite central to the economy of Egypt. Yes, it contributed about USD32.2 billion in 2024, which is about 8.1% of the country’s GDP. Not to mention, the country also welcomed a record 15.7 million visitors in 2024, which marked quite a rise from the previous year.
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Language Proficiency Test For Guides
As it happens, it was just recently that Egypt launched an unprecedented programme for better tourism services. With the tourism expected to boom, it was now a requirement for licensed guides to take a language proficiency test. The test would allow them to enhance the quality of visitors’ experience to ensure people from around the world can experience the beauty of the rich ancient cultures and the vibrant life.
So, this rise in the fee of the tour guides could mean that you might have to pay a little more than before to the companies for the tour.
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