The determination additionally doesn’t apply to public and vacationer institutions in South Sinai, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, or Marsa Alam. Nationwide, grocery shops, supermarkets, fruit and vegetable retailers, bakeries, pharmacies, and tourist-licensed eating places and cafés at airports, seaports, and practice stations are all exempt, too.
Before the brand new rule was launched, tourism in Egypt had already been impacted by the Iran battle. Maged Salib, managing director of tour operator Anubis Travel, says all of its North American purchasers canceled their March and April journeys. But for many who do come, the early closure is an inconvenience.
Salib says he usually takes his tour teams to a present on the Cairo Opera House or a whirling dervish present in Khan El Khalili. “Now, everything must finish by 8 or 8:30 p.m., so you have to choose between dinner or a night out,” he says.
“If it extends for more than a month, it will affect the travelers coming to Egypt mainly from the Gulf, because they are the biggest spenders and they are the ones who like to stay out late,” he provides.
Coupled with the drop in vacationer numbers, the early curfew has already taken a transparent toll. Mourad Sami, managing accomplice at Abou El Sid, which has three branches in Cairo, estimates a 30 to 40 p.c decline in revenues. “What can we do? It’s force majeure,” he says. “Hopefully, it will not be extended.”
In Khan El Khalili itself, the place cafés and retailers sometimes come alive after darkish, the affect is simply as pronounced. “We all respect and support our government’s decision, but Khan El Khalili is at the heart of tourism and the heart of Cairo,” says Ashraf Attia, common supervisor of Naguib Mahfouz Café. (*9*)
This article was initially printed on Condé Nast Traveller Middle East.