“Tourist Armageddon” in Egypt. Offices cancel trips to the new attraction
No one expected such chaos during the opening. Offices are already canceling trips to the Grand Egyptian Museum.
The highly anticipated opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum did not go as expected. Tourists who bought tickets to see the spectacular new attraction last weekend had to squeeze through crowds of other visitors. Too much interest meant that some guests, despite having valid tickets, were not allowed into the building at all. In the face of these events, some travel agencies canceled planned trips.
Problems with visiting the Grand Egyptian Museum
Not even two weeks have passed since the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, and the first serious problems with access to the attractions have already appeared. “What happened on Friday and Saturday in front of and inside the Grand Egyptian Museum was beyond human comprehension,” describes Hurghada24.pl. It was all because of the ticket distribution system, which turned out to be unreliable and led to enormous chaos, both in front of the museum building and inside it.
The tour took place in a crowd that made it impossible not only to view the exhibits, but also to move in any direction. On Friday, when 18,000 people entered the Grand Egyptian Museum, ticket sales were stopped at 1 p.m. “On Saturday, it was a real tourist Armageddon. 26,000 people entered the GEM,” we read. On that day, entry was also suspended for people who had already purchased tickets.
Offices cancel trips
No more than 14,000 people should enter the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza daily. However, the current sales system does not guarantee closure when the limit is reached or even distribution of visits throughout the day.
The museum authorities responded to the recent disruptions by limiting ticket sales for Fridays and Saturdays to reservations on the website. On weekends, it will not be possible to purchase tickets at the on-site box office. Unfortunately, online tickets sold out in the blink of an eye and are no longer available until the end of the year.
The lack of tickets, as well as the lack of guaranteed entry for their holders, is a huge problem for tour operators from Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada. Some operators decided to resign from providing this service.
