Egyptian Minister of Tourism Zuhair Garrana issued a decree allowing the establishment of travel companies for a group of Bedouins who are operating in the activity of Desert Tourism or Safari in the “oases”.
A group of Bedouin youth in the Egyptian deserts applied a complain to the Minister of Tourism requesting quick intervention for legalizing their tourism business inside desert under the umbrella of Ministry of Tourism to avoid problems and recurrent clashing with security bodies in the desert.
The Advisor to the Minister of Tourism for Environmental Affairs Mahmoud El-Qaisony disclosed that the decision allows the establishment of companies that are shared by 100 persons as maximum number of shareholders for each company. He explained that the ministry discovered that those youth are owning around 400 4×4 vehicles that are used in Safari trips.
The Ministry intends legalizing this situation through granting the companies that they establish licenses for practicing the profession, provided that the regulations concerning establishment of these companies would feature adequate flexibility that suits the nature of their work in these remote areas, which would encourage them on joining their activity to the official economy.
He pointed out that he conferred two weeks ago with 300 of Bedouin youth working in Safari tourism for discussing their problems and other meetings were conducted with Tribes Chiefs, representatives of governorates and Ministries of Defense and Interior.
It was decided that Ministry of Tourism would inspect the cars that are used in trips and making sure of their validity for travel. Training courses financed by foreign grants for raising the environmental and cultural awareness of youth of the remote communities and means of dealing with tourists as well as teaching them necessary foreign languages in addition to arts of driving in the desert, difficult terrains and soft sands would take place. In addition adequate information for explaining the areas to be visited by tourists in Safari trips and natural protectorates would be provided.
It should be noted that number of tourists who carried out Safari trips last year exceeded over 71000 tourists.
