Egypt adds 78 countries to e-visa list to help boost tourism

An Egyptian plane takes to the skies. l Picture: AP

An Egyptian plane takes to the skies. l Picture: AP

Published Apr 1, 2022

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Cairo – Egypt added 78 countries to its e-visa portal for tourists, expanding the list to cover more than 180 countries in a bid to attract more visitors, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a statement.

On July 3, 2021, Egypt launched an online electronic service for tourists, through which they can obtain a tourist visa to Egypt.

"Egyptian government continues to encourage tourists from different nationalities to visit Egypt by facilitating the procedures for obtaining a tourist visa," said the ministry statement.

Egypt hosted 3.5 million tourists in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, down from a record 13.1 million in 2019.

In 2021, tourism, one of the main sources of foreign currency in Egypt, saw a steady recovery as 3.5 million tourists visited Egypt in the first six months.

Egypt's top archaeologist and Egyptologist, Zahi Hawass, also recently published his autobiography titled "The Guardian: Days of Zahi Hawass."

"The book doesn't only narrate my autobiography, but documents the history of archaeological work in Egypt in the past 40 years," Hawass told Xinhua during the book launch.

The 600-page book sheds light on the archaeological discoveries and accomplishments made by Hawass who once served as minister of antiquities, and the challenges he faced during excavation and restoration work.

"In the book, I give credit to all the people who contributed to archaeological work, such as building museums and archaeological areas, raising archaeological awareness and retrieving stolen artefacts," said the notable archaeologist.