CAIRO: Emirates airlines announced Tuesday they have lowered fares for Egyptians traveling to Dubai starting July 15, in anticipation of the holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to fall in August this year. Ticket fares for Egyptians heading to Dubai during the holiday will start at LE 2,324. Since Ramadan is coinciding with the summer season this year, many across the Arab world have been delaying their trips until after Eid, therefore Emirates airlines decided to give an incentive to travel. “A lot of our customers have deferred their travel dates throughout summer to coincide with Ramadan,” said Khaled Al Serkal, Emirates area manager for Egypt. “They want to visit their families or simply travel during the holy month, especially as it coincides with the summer; recognizing this, we have reduced our fares on the occasion of Ramadan, to offer our customers more chances to experience the magic of Ramadan in Dubai,” he said. Emirates' passengers would be able to fly on all 12 weekly flights offered to Dubai from Cairo, while bookings start on July 15 and are valid for the period of Aug. 1–24. Ramadan, however, is not the only factor impacting travelers between the Gulf in Egypt, especially in the opposite direction. The summer, a traditionally high season for tourism from the Gulf, has seen a decline this year in Egypt, but not due to fare prices. The country's ongoing January 25 Revolution and the political unrest have heavily affected the number of tourists visiting the country. Tourists coming to Egypt from the UAE dropped 50 percent, Saudi Arabian visitors 40 percent, and tourists from Kuwait 30 percent, Sami Mahmoud, head of the international department at Egypt's Tourism Development Authority, was quoted in state-run Al-Ahram as saying. Overall, in June Gulf tourists visiting the Egypt fell 42 percent.
