Tourist Hajj Lottery: Companies Get 61% Share at 5-Star Level, Highest Quota 55 Visas

Tourist Hajj Lottery: Companies Get 61% Share at 5-Star Level, Highest Quota 55 Visas

21% Is Each Company's Share of the Passports It Registered in Economy Hajj, Which Drew the Most Citizens

By Akram Medhat

"Travel Yalla News" tracks the share of visas going to the 1,750 tourism companies organizing tourist Hajj programs for the 1438 AH/2017 season, after the lottery on 35,700 Hajj visas, for which 108,473 citizens are competing, according to the Ministry of Tourism's regulations and the quotas for each level.

The number of visas a company obtains is calculated by dividing each level's quota by the number of applicants for it, and the result represents the percentage the company obtains of the total passports it submitted and registered, which is subject to a ceiling, or maximum, that each company can submit according to its years of experience in carrying out Hajj programs.

The number of applicants for 5-star tourist Hajj reached 12,862 citizens targeting 7,800 visas, making the percentage by which tourism companies estimate the visas they will obtain based on the passports they submitted 61%. Accordingly, the highest number of visas obtained by the company with the most years organizing Hajj, according to the maximum number of passports, is about 55 visas.

This gives applicants a better chance of winning compared with last season, due to the lower number of people seeking tourist Hajj because of its higher prices, against an increase in the number of visas with the return of Egypt's full Hajj quota.

The 4-star level was the least successful in attracting lottery applicants, with 6,973 citizens and a quota of 3,900 visas, making the percentage 56%. Accordingly, the highest number of visas obtained by the company with the most years organizing Hajj, according to the maximum number of passports, is about 50 visas.

The economy "air" level had the largest share of registrants, at 51,256 citizens competing for 11,000 visas, making the percentage 21%, so the top company submitting passports will obtain 28 visas.

Overland programs attracted 37,382 citizens competing for 13,000 visas, which represent the largest share of tourism's quota of the total visas allocated to Egypt, making the percentage 35%, so the top company submitting passports will obtain 47 visas.

Tourism companies' share of Hajj visas according to the number of applicants and the visas allocated to each level:

Level

Percentage estimating each company's share

Number of visas

5-star

61%

55

4-star

56%

50

Economy air

21%

28

Overland

35%

47

Number of applicants for tourist Hajj at its various levels and the visas allocated to each:

Level

Number of citizens applying

Number of visas allocated

5-star

12,862

7,800

4-star

6,973

3,900

Economy air

51,256

11,000

Overland

37,382

13,000

Total

108,473

35,700

Ceiling of passports each company can submit under the tourist Hajj regulations for the 1438 AH season:

Level

Years of experience of companies carrying out Hajj

4- and 5-star tourist Hajj

Economy Hajj (air - overland)

First

9 years or more

90

135

Second

6 to 8 years

70

95

Third

First time up to 5 years

50

70

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