A fter Ed — who is a reader of The Gate — posted in the Comments section of this article pertaining to the increase by 140 percent of the cost of visa fees for visitors to Egypt that “Egypt has decided to postpone the decision to raise the fees for visas to Egypt until July, instead of March”, the source from which I received information for that article had not yet posted this article written by Al-Masry Al-Youm that the proposed increase will indeed not occur until July.
Egypt Visa Fee Increase of 140 Percent Postponed Until July
This means that there is still time for you to travel to Egypt and pay the visa fee of $25.00 instead of $60.00 if you are a citizen of the United States.
That increase may not sound like much; but just look at the rates of three Hilton resort properties in Hurghada — Hilton Hurghada Plaza; Hilton Hurghada Resort; and Hilton Hurghada Long Beach Resort — when checking in on the completely random date of Wednesday, March 8, 2017 and checking out on Tuesday, March 14, 2017:
You read those rates correctly: as low as $44.00 per night — and not only are there no resort fees; but the rate includes taxes.
With the American Automobile Association rate, you can pay as little as $43.00 per night total.
Summary
Two of the three aforementioned Hilton resorts are all-inclusive — meaning that meals, snacks, beverages and many activities are included in the rate — which is perfect for the traveler who is budget-conscious; and for a few extra dollars, the third resort property can become all-inclusive…
…and although spending an extra $35.00 per person on visa fees hardly dilutes the potential bargains one can enjoy in Egypt, it can make a difference and may cause some travelers to postpone — or entirely skip — visiting a country which really needs tourist dollars.
By the way, I have stayed at all three Hilton resorts. Although they will probably be two years old by the time I post them, I have every intention of writing articles — with plenty of photographs, of course — pertaining to my experiences.
Despite the postponement of the increase in the cost of the visa, I still believe that this is a bad move for Egypt, in my opinion — but if you are still interested in visiting Egypt despite the increase in visa fees, here is a series of articles pertaining to my experiences in that country — and I still have more articles which I need to write and post in the future:
- 6 Reasons Why You Should Visit Egypt Now
- Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt: A Photographic Essay
- Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut in Egypt: Part One of A Photographic Essay
- Trapped in the Toilet of My Hotel Room in Egypt
- Arguably the Best Service I Ever Received From a Hotel
- As I am Lounging on a Hammock Along the Shore of the Nile River…
- I Became Guest of the Day at This Hotel Simply Because I Drove a Car
- 8 Tips on How to Drive in Cairo and Other Parts of Egypt
- I Drove on One of the 10 Roads You Would Never Want to Drive On and Did Not Even Realize It
- Renting a Car in Egypt: My Experience
- 9 Tips on How to Deal With Aggressive Touts When Visiting Egypt
- The Chaos Known as Cairo International Airport
- 11 Travel Photographs You Should Stop Taking Right Now?
- Should Attractions in the United States Charge Different Fees for Non-Residents?
- Russian Airplane Crash: Should You Travel to Egypt? Is it Safe?
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
