Ahmed Eissa, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, inspected the latest developments in the restoration project of some ancient tombs in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, accompanied by Dr. Mostafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, as part of his tour that began this morning with the opening of the Monastery of St.
The Minister inspected the restoration and maintenance work of the tomb of King Ramses IX, one of the kings of the Twentieth Dynasty, to find out the latest developments in the works within the comprehensive plan of the Supreme Council of Antiquities for the restoration of all tombs on the western mainland, including the tombs of the Valley of the Kings and Queens, Deir el-Medina and the Nobles.
He also inspected the visitor center for the region and followed up on the implementation of the non-cash payment system applied at the outlets for selling tickets to enter the archaeological area, and to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the management and workflow of the system and its ability to improve the tourism experience, as this system works to ensure the flow of these funds within the national economy through Through the banking system, the transfer of the price and value of tickets is through the banking system and the accounts of tourism companies within Egyptian banks.
The Minister of Tourism and Antiquities stressed the importance of this system, which greatly contributed to ensuring that the dollar equivalent takes its course in the Egyptian banking sector, with a commitment to charging the price in the local currency, out of faith in its strength and respect for it.
During the tour, the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities directed the necessity of speedy completion of the restoration work of closed tombs in order to prepare them to receive visitors and absorb the influx of the growth of incoming tourist movement to the Egyptian tourist destination during the upcoming winter tourism season, praising the approach taken by the Supreme Council of Antiquities to open and close archaeological sites that witness an increase in demand for them in a manner The exchange (rotation) to carry out the necessary maintenance work for it, in a way that works to preserve it to a large extent.
The minister also called on the Egyptian Federation of Tourist Chambers and the Chamber of Travel and Tourism Companies and Agencies to instruct tourism companies to purchase the collected tickets made available by the Supreme Council of Antiquities at a 5% discount, valid for six months, or change the ticket price, whichever is closer, especially in light of the measures taken by the Ministry to facilitate dealing with collected tickets. To visit archaeological sites and museums, which tourism companies purchase for their clients who are tourists who wish to enter these sites and museums from the Collected Tickets Center in the Ministry. By issuing a cash payment card from an Egyptian bank that offers payment cards to companies, and it is delivered to the guide or representative to purchase tickets on site, which improves the tourist experience and facilitates the process of entering the archaeological site and avoids crowding or congestion in front of the entry gates.
This system also serves the foreign visitor, who can purchase entry tickets upon his arrival in the archaeological area or the museum using his bank card, or electronically through the website launched by the Ministry for that matter.
The minister also praised the tourism experience of entering Egyptian visitors and tourists inside the ancient Valley of the Kings, directing the need and speed to develop the tourism experience to get out of it to match that of international archaeological sites, so that the exit port includes a number of visitor services such as cafeterias and bazaars selling antique reproductions and souvenirs
Dr. Mostafa Waziri explained that the restoration and maintenance works in the tombs of King Merneptah, Tausert, and Setnakht were completed as part of a plan to restore the tombs of the Valley of the Kings by making mechanical and chemical cleaning and showing inscriptions and colors.
Work has also begun to restore the tombs of King Ramesses IX of the Twentieth Dynasty, and King Seti II and King Sabtah, which date back to the era of the Nineteenth Dynasty in the Valley of the Kings, as well as the tomb of Sin Najm in the tombs of Deir el-Medina, and the tombs of Sinfer and Rakhmir in the tombs of the nobles.