23 Nov 2020; MEMO: The number of passenger ships and yachts crossing the Suez Canal decreased 44.4 per cent over the last ten months compared to the same period in 2019, Al-Mal newspaper reported yesterday.
According to the newspaper, this was as a result of coronavirus lockdowns and the subsequent drop in global oil sales and tourism.
The newspaper reported that 164 passenger ships and yachts crossed the vital waterway between January and October, compared to 295 in the same period last year.
Last week, the Suez Canal Authority reduced transit fees for cruise ships by 50 per cent on condition that ships stop for at least 48 hours in at least two Egyptian ports.
The spokesperson for the Suez Canal Authority, George Safwat, said authorities are planning to add the canal's attractions to Egypt's tourism map in order to diversify income sources adopted in the 2020/2023 plan.
The Suez Canal is a global man-made water passage which is vital for the movement of commerce between Asia and Europe.
