A Russian tourist visited Egypt for the first time through the TEZ Tour at the end of 2022, and now he decided to share his impressions of this trip in his Zen channel. He spoke about local guides, some features of life in the country and attitude towards Russians.
The Russian has long wanted to visit Egypt, but circumstances have constantly interfered with him – from problems with air traffic after the plane crashed over the Sinai Peninsula in 2015 to the pandemic that began in 2020. And only at the end of 2022, the man’s dream finally came true – he arrived in Hurghada on a charter flight.
Holidays in Egypt exceeded all expectations of a Russian tourist: he was delighted with the service, excursions, communication with guides and attitude towards Russians. At the airport, the guests were met by the Tez Tour bus and taken to the comfortable Seagull Resort hotel, where the man went to meet the hotel guide the next day. It was a local resident named Abdulla, who spoke Russian well and even joked. The guide advised the Russian on an excursion to Luxor to Karnak temple and offered a discount.
On the trip to the city of Luxor, the group was accompanied by another guide – a middle-aged Egyptian named Mohammed. He also spoke fluent Russian, talked a lot about the history, culture and customs of his country. During one of the stops, the Russian got into a conversation with Mohammed and asked how they live, study and how much people in Egypt earn, how Russians are treated.
The guide said that the local education system includes 4 stages: six years in primary school, three years in middle school, three years in high school, and then college. Only the first 2 stages are obligatory, and even then in rural areas they are often neglected, since it is more important for children to help their parents with the housework than to study.
The profession of a guide in Egypt is considered prestigious and quite profitable. To get it, you need to enter a prestigious university in Cairo or Alexandria and study for four years in your specialty. Then the guys leave for 1-3 years in the army, service in which is mandatory. After returning, they are required to confirm their qualifications, and then they get the right to work as guides. For girls, theoretically, the plan is the same, with the exception of the army, but in reality there are very few of them in the tourism industry.
Studying at a university as a guide is quite difficult. According to its results, you need to pass and get high scores in two exams: in a foreign language and in the history of Egypt from the pharaohs to the present. It also requires an internship in Cairo, Luxor or Alexandria. Every 7 years, the guide must confirm his qualifications at the Ministry of Tourism of Egypt.
The interlocutor of the Russian tourist, Mohammed, graduated from the University of Cairo, knows Russian and Polish, which helps him earn decent money on excursions. On average, a guide in Egypt receives from 10,000 Egyptian pounds, or about 30,000 rubles, plus a tip. The locals consider this to be a very good salary, on which one can live comfortably.
Next, the Russian asked Mohammed how the locals feel about Russians. He replied that Russians are very fond of. And the fact that tourists bring money into the country is not the only reason. Past connections and assistance from the USSR also play a part. “So our brother is loved, respected and expected here,” summed up the Russian tourist.
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