{"id":590826,"date":"2023-07-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-26T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/hardhats\/with-an-eye-to-attract-more-tourism-egypt-is-making-it-easier-for-yacht-owners-to-visit\/"},"modified":"2023-07-26T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T00:00:00","slug":"with-an-eye-to-attract-more-tourism-egypt-is-making-it-easier-for-yacht-owners-to-visit","status":"publish","type":"hardhat","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/hardhats\/with-an-eye-to-attract-more-tourism-egypt-is-making-it-easier-for-yacht-owners-to-visit\/","title":{"rendered":"With an eye to attract more tourism, Egypt is making it easier for yacht owners to visit"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re doing more to attract yacht tourism:<\/strong> The government has been working to boost Egypt\u2019s yacht tourism since last year<\/a>, in a bid to secure a source of FX inflows and capitalize on the burgeoning industry. After rolling out a digital platform to cater to tourists looking to enter Egypt via yacht, we\u2019re now simplifying regulations and procedures even further to make it easier \u2014 and more attractive \u2014 for yacht owners to come to Egypt. These moves have the potential to significantly improve our standing as a yacht tourism destination, provided they\u2019re implemented correctly, our industry sources tell us. <\/p>\n

REMEMBER-<\/strong> Yacht tourism can bring in much-needed foreign currency, considering that it\u2019s wealthy individuals who own or have access to yachts. The daily spend of those visiting Egypt via yachts is 94% more than the average tourist, former Tourism Minister Khaled El Anany previously said<\/a>. Yacht tourism provides a great window to double the tourism spending of those visiting from the Gulf, tourism industry sources previously told us. Half of global nautical tourism is concentrated in the Mediterranean alone, which draws in over 30k yachts a year, according to the State Information Service (SIS)<\/a>. European countries overlooking the Mediterranean are currently dominating the yacht tourism sector, attracting an annual USD 150 bn from the sector. <\/p>\n

We have plenty of marinas and ports to cater to the influx of yachts:<\/strong> Egypt currently has tens of yacht marinas and berths. It is also home to the North Coast\u2019s 500-berth Porto Marina Resort, which overlooks the Mediterranean sea and can accommodate over 1.4k yachts. It is the first international yacht marina in the eastern part of North Africa. Also on the North Coast, the c.EGp 24 bn Marassi Marina and Yacht Club<\/a>, courtesy of Emaar Misr, was inaugurated last summer. The coast\u2019s first international marina has the capacity to accommodate over 260 yachts. We also have Hurghada Marina, which can accommodate around 188 yachts at a time. Egypt is also home to the Taba Heights Marina, which can accommodate up to 50 yachts and provide them with maintenance services as well, and El Gouna\u2019s Abu Tig Marina and Sharm El Sheikh\u2019s Marina Naama. <\/p>\n

And now it\u2019s easier for yachts to enter, stay in, and exit the country:<\/strong> Tourist yachts will now be able to receive entry permits to Egypt through the Transport Ministry\u2019s digital platform for tourist yachts within 30 minutes, instead of the previous processing period of 15-30 days, the ministry said earlier this week<\/a>. The new rules also allow all passengers to receive electronic tourist visas as part of the same process, with the platform now linking to the Interior Ministry\u2019s passports and immigration administration. Tourists entering the country via yachts will now also be granted three-month visas, up from the previous 30-day expiry period, to accommodate longer trips, according to a ministry statement<\/a>. Yachts will also be allowed to exit Egypt from any port, instead of previous regulations that required them to exit from the same point of entry. <\/p>\n

The process has gone digital:<\/strong> Back in 2021, the Transport Ministry introduced<\/a> a digital platform for tourist yachts to act as a one-stop-shop to manage and issue all the necessary approvals and permits. The digitization of the permit process was designed to eliminate the previously existing hassle of navigating a complicated web of bureaucracy, which industry insiders told us had been among the biggest complaints from yacht owners. Yacht owners can now apply for entry and mooring permits by uploading the required documents and providing their planned itinerary for the trip through the digital platform, which is standard procedure for most countries where yacht tourism is booming. <\/p>\n

How does it work?<\/strong> The ministry has a step-by-step video to guide yacht owners on the process of applying for the permits and visas they\u2019ll need to enter Egypt with their yacht ( watch, runtime: 11:37<\/a>). The process requires them to provide certain information and documentation on the digital platform website<\/a> \u2014 including details about the yacht and providing an ownership document, the planned itinerary for the trip, residency information for the yacht\u2019s owner, crew, and other passengers, as well as declaring any cargo or wireless devices on board. Once this information is uploaded to the platform, the applicant will be required to pay the necessary fees \u2014 including mooring fees, which the ministry has now unified for all ministry-owned ports \u2014 and issue a payment receipt. <\/p>\n

These updates could be a major boon for the yacht tourism industry, but it all depends<\/strong> on implementation:<\/strong> The ministry\u2019s recent regulation changes could help put Egypt\u2019s yacht tourism on the same playing field as regional leaders in the industry, said Ibrahim El Dessouky, head of the Federation of Egyptian Industries\u2019 Maritime Transport division . However, the success of these regulations will depend on whether or not they are properly implemented, El Dessouky said, noting that some processes \u2014 such as getting clearance to bring in certain short-range wireless devices \u2014 can take as long as two months. <\/p>\n

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