Permits for starting new travel agencies will be suspended for a year, Tourism Minister Mounir Fakhri Abdel Nour said today.
There are too many travel agencies in Egypt, a statement released by the ministry explained. It added that tourism has declined because of the recent political developments in the country, and the number of visitors arriving is lower than normal.
Riad Qabil, the secretary general of the Egyptian Chambers of Tourism, said there are approximately 2000 travel agencies in Egypt.
He said adding new travel agencies to the market will lead to intense competition, pushing prices down, which would have a negative impact on the quality of customer service and eventually on the flow of tourists to Egypt.
