Booking.com stops dealing in Egyptian pounds
Users of the social networking site Facebook circulated news about the Booking.com website for travel and tourism reservations, revealing that dealings and reservations will be stopped in Egyptian pounds, and dealings will be in dollars only, inside or outside Egypt.
How was Booking.com site dealt with before the Egyptian pound was banned?
Booking on the Booking.com is always made in US dollars, and when booking hotels for Egyptian customers, the Egyptian currency is automatically converted into dollars through the bank, and then the booking is made for the customer.
For further clarification, Booking’s equation is always in dollars, even if the payment is made in Egyptian pounds, it is automatically converted into dollars, and dealing in dollars with completely canceling the Egyptian pound from Booking.com because of the difference in the Egyptian pound until its stability.
The effects of Booking website on tourism and the economy in Egypt from the point of view of Egyptian tourism experts and officials
as sites such as Booking.com and others take Egypt’s money and do not return it, the matter Which poses a threat to the country’s national economy, according to some Egyptian economists, as well as some officials in the field of tourism in Egypt.
The damage to the Egyptian economy, from the point of view mentioned above, is that if a customer cancels a hotel reservation that was originally booked through those external sites headed by Booking.com, the amount due is not sent to the Egyptian customers, and this is what harms the Egyptian economy, as That these sites also did not pay any taxes and also did not send the dues to Egypt.
Different reactions in Egypt to the decision of Booking.com
The reactions in Egypt varied to what was announced by Booking.com regarding the reservation in Egyptian pounds. For example, a member of the Chamber of Tourism Companies in Egypt demanded to prevent dealing with Booking.com and other sites, as Turkey did before, and to prevent dealing with any sites like it. And this, as he made clear in his statements, in order to preserve the Egyptian economy.
This has also angered many Egyptian pioneers of various social networking sites. Some have made it clear that they will not be able to deal with Booking now and take advantage of his offers. This is because the transfers coming to it must be in US dollars. This is difficult for everyone to have. Especially with the Egyptian state placing strict restrictions on anyone who wants to get dollars. Therefore, it is not available to all Egyptians. Especially those who do domestic tourism in their country. It will be almost impossible for them to convert some of their money into dollars except through the exorbitant black market.
Forecast of the next position
A number of website experts expect that perhaps with a decision to ban Booking.com from Egypt, the company may retract its decisions to cancel dealing in the Egyptian pound, but at the same time it will take a number of other decisions that avoid the losses that may be incurred by it with the economic flotation of the Egyptian pound again.