Egypt Daily News – New operational plan at the Pyramids has proven effective, facilitating smooth and efficient movement of tourists. On the second day of the trial operation of the Giza Pyramids area, the movement of tourist groups in and out of the site was smooth, as part of the new system that includes visitor entry through the Fayoum Road, with the traditional entrance from the Mena House hotel now closed.
Tourism and Antiquities Minister, Sherif Fathy, followed up on the visitor flow since early morning, for the second consecutive day of the trial operation. He stated that the reports received from the ministry’s team, along with Orascom Pyramids Entertainment Services, confirmed that the visitor flow was running smoothly.
The Minister emphasized the ongoing monitoring of the visitor movement, which saw more than 5,000 visitors by mid-day yesterday. He also highlighted coordination with relevant ministries to manage the transportation system and ensure that there were no crowds.
He stressed that the tourist experience in the area should be easy, comfortable, and enjoyable, while adhering to the future vision for the site. The trial operation is aimed at identifying challenges and areas for development concerning tourist services, to take necessary decisions for improvement.
Additionally, the minister instructed Orascom Pyramids Entertainment Services to increase the seating capacity of the electric buses to 50 seats per bus and to add seat belts for safety.
Orascom Investment Holding of which Mr. Naguib Sawiris is the executive chairman will bring a total investments in the Pyramids Plateau through subsidiary Orascom Pyramids Entertainment to EGP 1.5. Credit is given to Orascom Pyramids Entertainment and Mr. Sawiris for their organizational and development plans, which contributed to the successful trials.
Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, who has been monitoring the visitor movement in the Pyramids area, mentioned that the Minister of Tourism had directed that all large tourist groups of over 35 people, as well as fast tourist tours, be allowed to enter the archaeological site with their own buses.
He confirmed the presence of all inspectors at different sites within the area and at the designated bus stop stations to monitor the transport system and ensure buses entered and exited the area in an organized manner.
The Pyramids area recorded an unprecedented number of visitors the day before yesterday, reaching around 13,800 tourists, a significant increase compared to usual figures. The operating company provided over 45 buses running every three minutes, surpassing the original plan of having a bus every five minutes.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced that the first day of the trial operation saw a noticeable smoothness, with only some temporary congestion caused by a few horse riders and camel drivers not adhering to their designated areas, which briefly disrupted the bus flow before the situation was reorganized.
Tourist guide Raouf Helmy praised the development work within the Pyramids area, especially the system implemented during the trial operation. He shared, “For the first time in 30 years, my experience as a tour guide has been the best day spent with tourists inside the Pyramids.”
He added, “What stood out the most in the trial operation was the orderliness. The visitor entrance is highly efficient, and there was no crowd at the ticket window.”
He continued, “The tourist group took a bus provided by the company in charge of the development, and toured four stations: the Pyramid Panorama, the Sphinx, between the two pyramids, and the third plateau. For the first time, there was no congestion on the asphalt road next to the Pyramids, as there were no carts, camels, or horses, and no harassment of tourists to ride them.”
He added, “The tourist no longer has to witness conflicts between vendors, and those who wish to ride a camel or horse must go to the designated area. For the first time, I was able to explain information to the group easily, without interruption or confusion.”
Helmy concluded that the scene at the archaeological site on the first day of the trial operation was encouraging and befitting the grandeur of the Pyramids. He called for allowing buses to enter the archaeological area to avoid tourists needing to transfer their belongings from the tour bus to another bus.
