Egypt: Strike over new diving tax!

Dive operators in Egypt have decided to call a strike over a tax that would come into force on Saturday, 28 December. The new public levy would significantly raise the cost of diving and therefore prices in an industry that has been recovering in recent years. According to many people involved in the diving business in Egypt, the new tax at the proposed level is something that dive centres currently cannot afford.

An unprecedented dive industry strike has been announced for the weekend of 28-29 December. On these days dive centres, boat owners etc. will not provide any services. The act of protest is directed against the new tax that the Egyptian government plans to introduce overnight and without any consultation.

-- Advertisement --

In the simplest terms, each person diving or snoorkeling would have to pay a fee of USD 5 for each diving day, or in the case of vessels, between USD 10 and 60, depending on the size of the boat. Vessels under 17m in length would be exempt from the fee. Those providing services in this tourism sector say the rates of the new tax are completely unrealistic and will lead to disaster.

But that’s not all, because there is also an increase in the Reef-Tax, which is currently €2, up to €12 per day. After a quick conversion, a 10-day diving holiday for a family of 4 will incur a tax of 360 Euros!

The strikers are undertaking a protest to force the Egyptian authorities to withdraw the idea, or at least to introduce it in a sensible way that does not hit the diving industry. Otherwise it won’t be long before Red Sea holidays become an extremely luxurious way to spend a holiday.

Source: voodoodivers.com
Photo: Dinovandoorn – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0