G Adventures Calls Visa Changes A “Blow”
G Adventures says that it ‘received little warning’ of the changes for Egypt’s visa rules for Canadians and described the changes as a ‘blow’ to Canadian travel agents and their clients as well as operators, like G Adventures.
In a statement, G Adventures writes: “We are aware of the proposed change to the entry requirements for Canadian travellers intending to travel to Egypt.”
It continues: “Although we have received no formal confirmation, it is our understanding that starting from October 1, Canadian citizens will be required to obtain a visa from the Egyptian embassy / consulate in Ottawa or Montreal before traveling to Egypt. For the month of September, an e-visa option is available.”
The operator notes that: “We are in the process of seeking official confirmation from Egyptian authorities in Canada, and have notified our travellers departing in September that they will require an e-visa for entry. We will keep travellers updated as and when we have more concrete information to share.”
Commenting on the situation, G Adventures’ managing director, David Green, said that it’s disappointing to have received little warning of these new visa changes, which do little to support Canadian travellers.
Said Green: “This is a blow to both Canadian travel agents trying to support their clients and operators like G Adventures that send thousands of travellers to Egypt each year. Other than the announcement that was made, there have been no details provided around the process to obtain visas. It has also proven impossible to reach the embassy for clarification on the new process.”
He pointed out that: “An online application form should be the minimum expectation, which doesn’t appear to be available beyond September. We hope common sense will prevail and at the very least the visa changes are delayed until a later date, allowing more notice for travellers and for efficient processes to be established. Failure to do so will lead to thousands of Canadian travellers cancelling their travel plans to Egypt.”
And said Green: “We call on all members of CATO and ACTA to raise this issue with the government, as this new visa rule needs to be reversed or, at the very least, delayed.”
