Hefty increase in Luxor monument entrance fees from 1st Oct

[newcastle]

New prices from 1st Oct 2017 - in German I'm afraid, but fairly easy to translate

Foreigner/Student


#Karnak-Tempel: 80/40  120/60
Open-Air-Museum: 40/20  60/30
Kombi-Ticket Karnak + Open-Air-Museum: 150/75 (*NEU*)
Luxor-Tempel: 60/30  100/50
Tal der Könige: 100/50  160/80
Grab Ramses VI: 50/30  80/40
#Tutanchamun: 100/500  200/100
#Sethos I.: 1000/500  1000/500
Eje: 30/15  40/20
#Nefertari: 1000/500  1000/500
Totentempel Merenptah: 20/10  40/20
#Ramesseum: 40/20  60/30
Deir el-Bahari (#Hatschepsut): 50/25  80/40
Sethos I.-Totentempel: 40/20  60/30
Medinet Habu: 40/20  60/30
Tal der Königinnen: 50/25  80/40
Deir el-Medina: 40/20  80/40
Ramose + Userhat + Chaemhat: 40/20  60/30
Sennefer + Rechmire: 30/15  40/20
Userhat + Chonsu + Benia: 20/10  40/20
Menena + Nacht + Amenemipet: 30/15  60/30
Neferrenpet + Nefersecheru + Thutmosis: 30/15  40/20
Pabasa: 30/15  40/20
Anchmahor + Cheriuf: 40/20  60/30
Rai + Schurai + Amenemipet: 20/10  40/20

There have been commensurate increases in all sites, museums etc. across Egypt....some effective from 1st Nov

[Horus]

Well that is exactly what you should do in a shop if your business is going down the crapper, just increase your prices by 30 to 50 percent and you are bound to make more profit as people will rush to buy.

[Major Thom]

That's a sign the monuments are going down the Ceramics too, let alone the fact its a clear sign we do not want tourists. Some people are brain dead!!!!!

[carrie]

Since there has been such a jump in the exchange rate of the GB pound against the EP still good value for money.

[newcastle]

Well that is exactly what you should do in a shop if your business is going down the crapper, just increase your prices by 30 to 50 percent and you are bound to make more profit as people will rush to buy.

I take your point - and increasing prices to offset declining business is generally a tactic with a dead end.

However, on this occasion, I think the rise is ok.

The entrance cost to historic sites has little, if anything, to do with the decline in tourism.

Foreign tourists saw their home currency effectively doubled in EGP terms when the Egyptian currency was floated last year so visits are still a lot cheaper , measured this way, than they were last year.

[Alistair1967]

These increases are unlikely to drive too many people away, as most visitors these days are on tours from the Red Sea resorts, and wont see the price of tickets - it will be included in the price of their excursion. Besides, it's also unlikely most people are aware of the rises anyway, outside of those who read forums like this and TA.

I hope that a portion of the increased revenue can be used to pay a little more to the tomb and temple guardians, for their own sake, but also for those of us who like to wander around and take pictures in peace. Will probably never happen though.

[hatusu]

Even after the increases I think the prices are very reasonable, particularly when compared to sightseeing in the UK and Europe.
Unlike Hurghada, the vast majority of people who come on holiday to Luxor come for the sites - some of the most famous in the world. They arent going to go home without seeing these sites for the sake of a few extra euros/dollars/pounds.
To visit a low grade stately home in the UK is about £10 ( for example I visited Burton Agnes Hall in Yorkshire in the summer, hardly a world famous attraction, and paid this price), Scarborough Castle visitors pay £6.50 and there's hardly anything left. A lot of history attached to it yes, but its hardly a world famous site. The Tower of London is around £20.
I think Luxor prices compare very favourably and will not put amateur Egyptologists off.

[Dusak]

But they won't be when the rate falls back to its normal levels any time soon. Same with all the price hikes I see whenever I go shopping, all related to, for a foreigner, because we are now getting 2.5 times more of ''their'' money for every £ we cash in. As stated quite often over the past year to me via my friend.

[newcastle]

But they won't be when the rate falls back to its normal levels any time soon. Same with all the price hikes I see whenever I go shopping, all related to, for a foreigner, because we are now getting 2.5 times more of ''their'' money for every £ we cash in. As stated quite often over the past year to me via my friend.

Dream on!

[Dusak]

Today I had some Stirling to change, was too busy working so sent my representative to the exchange places as you usually get a tad more compered to the banks. Best rate she could get was 23.551. They all said the same, we will start seeing the Stirling begin to go down now. I was quite happy with what I got and do not need to exchange any more until middle of next year, so only time will tell.

[newcastle]

It's hovered between 22 and 24 EGP to 1 GBP ever since the "revaluation".

Any fall will below these levels is more likely to be caused by a continued fall in sterling post Brexit than a resurgence of the EGP.

Not that that will stop the Luxor Egyptians predicting otherwise They're still predicting a return of tourists to Luxor I believe

[Dusak]

Shed loads of Asian looking ones, far more than in recent years. You really have to wait a while now for an empty caleche.

[newcastle]

Shed loads of Asian looking ones, far more than in recent years. You really have to wait a while now for an empty caleche.

Probably helps with the stray dog problem too.

[Dusak]

I think that you should of ''pawsed'' for thought before posting that.

[Hafiz]

The long term market predictions/futures for the E pound are not positive. The Central Bank of Egypt is still manipulating market rates to frustrate the harsh view that market forces have of the 'Egypt situation'.

Moody's and others refuse to remove the government bonds from a junk category.

Sovereign debt is exploding as a result of a government spending spree - which looks a lot like the 1870's - and this will have a bad outcome on the currency.

The Saudi's, under new management - will not continue to pay all brothel bills, and don't have a lot of spare cash at the moment.

The claimed improvement in exports and the general trade situation is illusory - and this will not have a good effect on the currency.

A lot of new capital investment seems to be going into non-productive/ill-conceived projects which might have good political outcomes but won't have good economic or currency ones.

The obsession with mass volume low margin tourism - particularly on the coast - might benefit some rich people but delivers few and low income jobs and little economic benefit to the state. Even a return to pre-2011 figures would not solve the deep economic/employment problems.

Even if tourism returned to pre 2011 levels - the trade situation is bad. Basically, excluding capital inflows - Egypt has been importing much more than it exports for decades and this has only one effect on the currency - and its not positive. As far as the capital inflows are concerned - they vacillate wildly and with a now floated currency this will have a not good effect.

The Government Tourist Authority and the Supreme Antiques continue to vie for the winning prize of the worst managed bodies in the world. For example every idiot knows the future is Asian, and particularly Chinese, tourism yet most of their marketing money and most of their overseas staff are in salubrious western city locations and they gave their recent $US70 million marketing campaign to a NYC burnt out old husk of an advertising firm.

I think its a miracle that tourism has even survived in Egypt. The food is bad, the harassment appalling, the hotels generally ugly, the infrastructure hopeless, staff often lazy and often unskilled, the natural environment damaged and dirty, the cities broken and chaotic, the police/tourist police disturbingly intrusive and less than useful etc. And I haven't even mentioned terrorism.

Nevertheless I love it.

[newcastle]

The long term market predictions/futures for the E pound are not positive. The Central Bank of Egypt is still manipulating market rates to frustrate the harsh view that market forces have of the 'Egypt situation'.

Moody's and others refuse to remove the government bonds from a junk category.

Sovereign debt is exploding as a result of a government spending spree - which looks a lot like the 1870's - and this will have a bad outcome on the currency.

The Saudi's, under new management - will not continue to pay all brothel bills, and don't have a lot of spare cash at the moment.

The claimed improvement in exports and the general trade situation is illusory - and this will not have a good effect on the currency.

A lot of new capital investment seems to be going into non-productive/ill-conceived projects which might have good political outcomes but won't have good economic or currency ones.

The Government Tourist Authority and the Supreme Antiques continue to vie for the winning prize of the worst managed bodies in the world. For example every idiot knows the future is Asian, and particularly Chinese, tourism yet most of their marketing money and most of their overseas staff are in salubrious western city locations and they gave their recent $US70 million marketing campaign to a NYC burnt out old husk of an advertising firm.

I think its a miracle that tourism has even survived in Egypt. The food is bad, the harassment appalling, the hotels generally ugly, the infrastructure hopeless, staff often lazy and often unskilled, the natural environment damaged and dirty, the cities broken and chaotic, the police/tourist police disturbingly intrusive and less than useful etc.

Nevertheless I love it.

Currency/financial prospects...yep. Agreed.

Tourism. That's mostly on the north coast and Red Sea as far as Europeans are concerned. I suppose the sea life is significantly better than the Med and of course the all year round sunshine & warmth is a factor. There's a limit to how far even the Egyptians can mess up a package deal in a 5 star (ahem!) all inclusive deal in a beach resort. What the Chinese et al make of the Egyptian experience is more difficult to assess...and it's early days. Perhaps it's a case of " vive la differance".

Not only has tourism survived, but it's recovering from the twin disasters of revolutions and security issues. However, even at its peak of 15 million in the Mubarak days, that seems a paltry number given the natural and historic assets available.