The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said on July 20 that it has approved new regulations on photography for personal purposes by both Egyptians and foreign tourists, allowing people to take photos with all types of traditional, digital and video cameras without prior permission.
Tourists and Egyptians will no longer have to take sneaky street photos after the country's Ministry of Tourism announced that amateur photography in public spaces will be allowed.
Previously, Egypt had a law prohibiting photography in public areas and many tourists still ignored it to secretly take photos to preserve the moment when setting foot in this land.
Egypt allows photography in public spaces
However, the statement said restrictions would be imposed on child photography and commercial photography. The ministry noted that it would not be allowed to take or share photos "containing scenes that could, in one way or another, tarnish the country's image."
The move comes after Egyptians and foreign tourists complained that authorities required permits to take photos in public areas, sometimes confiscating cameras and banning filming even with permits.
Egypt's relative relaxation of strict photography regulations could bode well for the country's tourism industry, which contributes more than 10% of GDP and employs about 2 million of the country's 103 million people.
Over the years, Egypt has been trying to revive its "smokeless" industry amid the continued impact of political instability since 2011 and the subsequent Covid-19 pandemic.
