Egypt Cracks Down on Vendors Near Pyramids

One of the biggest complaints of travelers to famous world monuments is that they are tourist traps with hordes of (sometimes pushy) locals selling various (often gaudy) knickknacks. Well the USA Today is reporting that Egypt is looking to clean up the area near the Pyramids of Giza and that in two years peddlers won't be allowed in the site.

Along with the crackdown of trinket vendors, Egypt is also modernizing the facilities near the pyramids and increasing security. Once the project is complete, tourists will be treated to a new lighting system, a cafeteria, and a new visitors center and bookshop. On the security front, a 12-mile chain-link fence with cameras, alarms, and motion detectors has been built to surround the site. Visitors will also now enter the site through a new building featuring x-ray machines, metal detectors, and 199 cameras.

In countries were the biggest industry is tourism, I don't have a big problem wading through vendors if they aren't overly pushy or get into my photographs. While I think Egypt's decision to curb vendors is the right one (and the country is known to have some pushy ones), I also don't want to see people lose their livelihood.

The increased security precautions should also be applauded, and when I was there, security was already very tight. In Cairo and the surrounding areas, our small group was accompanied by a guard with a machine gun. While that my scare of some, it made me feel safer, and the guard was also a great guy, who everyone in the group connected with.

As always, for more on Egypt's pyramids check out the section on my website. Also leave your thoughts on this topic in the comment section and check out the above-linked USA Today article.

Petra Sees Rise in Tourism

Petra saw a big rise in tourism through the first half of this year, according to a report from the Central Bank of Jordan. The World Wonder attracted 60% more visitors during the first half of 2008 compared to last year. In total, 404,161 tourists visited the city in 2008 versus 252,215 during the same period last year.

Europeans helped lead the tourism boom, with 157,284 Europeans visiting the country on package tours through the end of June, a 63% increase from last year. Tourists from Asia on package tours numbered 37,900, up 40% from 27,094 last year. The biggest percentage gain was from U.S. tourists, with an 84% surge to about 32,000.

It's good to see Petra getting some of the recognition it deserves, and its inclusion on the New Seven Wonders of the World list (technically it has 8 wonders) last July is undoubtedly helping increase tourism to the site. While the inflow of tourism from the U.S. shot up, it still appears there is some trepidation by many American to travel to the Middle East, which is a shame. For more on the red-rose city, check out the Petra section on my website.