The Religious Tourism Committee of the Chamber of Tourism Companies held its first meeting with companies organizing Hajj and Umrah trips, as part of preparations for the start of the 1448 AH Umrah season, to discuss working mechanisms during the new season and present and discuss ideas that help ensure the comfort and safety of Egyptian pilgrims.
The committee is set to hold a series of further meetings in Cairo and the governorates to hear the views and proposals of as many travel companies as possible, to come up with a number of ideas and proposals to be presented and discussed with the Supreme Committee for Hajj and Umrah at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, chaired by Samia Samy, Assistant Minister for Company Affairs, which also includes a number of religious tourism experts and representatives of various authorities.
The meeting, attended by the head and members of the chamber's Religious Tourism Committee and companies from the expanded committee, discussed a number of proposed mechanisms for companies' work during the new Umrah season, including mechanisms for transferring the funds required by the various Saudi entities working with companies during the Umrah season, and discussed the Saudi systems and regulations governing Umrah trips and how to keep pace with and work within them.
Several ideas were also discussed on the start date of the Umrah season and how companies can cooperate in implementation, including by sharing supervisors on joint trips between companies, as well as the mechanism for changing the Saudi agent if dealings with the original agent are suspended or become impossible, subject to the approval of the companies working with the new agent.
During the meeting, travel companies called for stepping up efforts to combat illegal entities operating in Umrah, limiting the control of brokers and middlemen over the Umrah market and encouraging citizens to go directly to travel companies. It was agreed that a number of travel companies from the general assembly will take part in the chamber's Committee for Combating Illegal Entities, chaired by board member and Vice Chairman of the Religious Tourism Committee Walid Khalil, with the committee continuing its work and drawing on a number of travel company owners in the governorates to expand those efforts.
