Egypt: Visitors will now be able to photograph landmarks for free

In an ambitious move, Egypt cancels fees levied on taking pictures of landmarks. From August onward, visitors will be able to take free videos and photos via mobile phones when they visit archaeological sites and museums. The decision was made by the country’s Antiquities Ministry in early July, and is expected to boost tourism in the region.

Till date, visitors had to shell out a fee if they had to use any kind of camera in prominent tourist spots, and the fees depended on the significance or importance of the monument or museum. And there have been instances where valuable exhibits were also banned from filming.
Referring to this development, Director General of the South Sinai Archaeological Monuments Research Unit said that this idea of abolishing fee for clicking photographs will prove to be very helpful to amateur photographs. This step will also help promote Egypt in the tourism circuit, and help spread its civilisation history in social networks among people.
He also opined that the decision of Ministry of Antiquities to implement free photography by mobile phones is very timely, and will benefit both the museums and archaeological sites. Visitors will now be able to have original photographs of the exhibits, which they will probably be uploading on social media networks, thereby providing indirect advertising of cultural and educational tourism in Egypt.
The expert also mentioned that the stories of visitors at unique Egyptian monuments, backed by amateur but colourful photos, will attract new tourists to the country of the pyramids.

He added that, earlier, foreign tourists were charged around 100 Egyptian pounds (around INR 420) for this activity. But now, that fee has been cancelled, and it is expected that this move will contribute to promote tourism here.