By Akram Medhat
Adel Lotfy, adviser to the Minister of Tourism and official in charge of the e-visa file, affirmed that the launch of the tourist e-visa project will have a positive impact on international tourist traffic to Egypt. The project came as a result of the recommendations of President Sisi's first meeting with the Supreme Council of Tourism last February, to facilitate the procedures and rules for travel to Egypt.
It is worth noting that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi yesterday launched the Egyptian tourist e-visa portal project, as the first phase of the integrated national project to develop technological working mechanisms at the information centers of the Passports, Immigration and Nationality Administration and to build information databases. The launch was attended by Yehia Rashed, Minister of Tourism, and Eng. Yasser El-Kady, Minister of Communications, on the sidelines of the Cairo ICT exhibition and conference for communications and information technology.
The adviser to the Minister of Tourism and official in charge of the e-visa file explained that the visa will initially be applied to 46 countries, including the countries of the European Union, the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan and Russia. The visa is to be granted by filling in the application form on the website www.visa2egypt.gov.eg, and the set fees are paid electronically after the application form is approved.
He pointed out that the current entry visa system will continue to operate, whether visas granted at ports of entry on arrival for some nationalities or those obtained through Egyptian embassies and consulates in other countries. He affirmed that obtaining the e-visa does not take time in entering data on the website.
Lotfy stressed the importance of this step, which many in the tourism community had been waiting for, noting that granting e-visas contributes to increasing inbound tourism to Egypt as it will facilitate entry visa procedures, explaining that visas are one of the important factors in making the decision to travel to any country. He noted that the launch of this website is the result of cooperation between the ministries of communications, foreign affairs and interior and all relevant government agencies of the state.
