In recent weeks, many posts on Sinai's various Facebook groups, chief among them the "Sinai Lovers" group with hundreds of thousands of active surfers, have called for a boycott against visiting the tourist peninsula, in light of the exorbitant prices charged to Israeli tourists. In countless photographic evidence, visitors to Sinai report a hundreds of percent increase in prices on the coastal strip near Nuweiba over the past two years. The dramatic jump in price is felt in every parameter: in camps with "huts" or air-conditioned rooms, in the cost of food, and in the cost of taxis to and from Nuweiba and its environs.
Flocking to Sinai
For example, if until two years ago the average price of an air-conditioned hut was NIS 50 per night, today many camps charge NIS 100-150 per person (not for the whole sense) and even more. Taxi prices from the Taba border to camps in Nuweiba have also jumped by hundreds of percent. Food prices in some of the camps are now closer to those in Israel, which a few days ago won the unflattering title of the country with the highest cost of living among all OECD countries. In addition, most camps have begun to price services and products for the Israeli tourist in shekels rather than Egyptian pounds, and for the unusual jump in price, they also add a conversion rate that is far from the representative rate.
2,500 NIS for food only
What boils the blood of Israeli tourists on this whole issue is that the cost of hotels (luxury and budget) in Sharm el-Sheikh and Dahab increased during the same period by only about 25-30 percent, like the increase in prices in Egypt during this period. The phenomenon of jumping the price by hundreds of percent is unique to the camp area around Nuweiba, which is loved by Israelis because of its proximity to the border, the quiet, the atmosphere and the simplicity – which was and is almost no more.
Senses in Nuweiba area, photo: AP
"For five days at camp, I paid 2,500 shekels for meals for two adults and two children," writes an Israeli who recently returned from Nuweiba on the Facebook group "Sinai Lovers." "Add to that the room costs and related expenses, and it's not economical at all for a wooden room. They earn more than 5 star hotels. That's why the camp owner and his kid ride new BMW jeeps. I could have taken 5 days all inclusive in a 5 star hotel in Taba for that price. So somebody has to do some thinking."
"You are being exploited in Sinai"
Another Israeli wrote in the group: "I've been visiting Sinai since the '90s, and it wasn't like that. Not at the price level in relation to the local costs and especially not in the ratio. And there is no comparison to a vacation in Eilat, you can compare it to a vacation in a nearby destination like Greece and Cyprus and understand that it is no longer worthwhile. They should definitely be boycotted."
In a discussion that ensued in the group, one user answered those who justified the increase in prices in Egypt in light of the high cost of living in Israel. "There's no comparison to Eilat, you really don't understand what you're talking about. Let's start with the fact that although a hotel will cost more during peak season, it will remain proportional to the price level in the country, and continue with the fact that food prices do not change and jump suddenly. You really don't understand how oppressive you are in Sinai. It's crazy by any standard. To tell the truth.... I understand the boycotters, but we (including me) know how to complain and in the end come back with our tails between our legs... We are unequivocally being screwed."
Another Israeli woman concludes: "Everyone is traveling and everyone will continue to travel. Suckers don't die, they just change."
Israelis vacationing in Sinai,
In order to understand how disproportionate prices are in camps near Nuweiba, you need to dive into the Egyptian economy data for a moment. Egypt's minimum wage was raised last year to 3,000 Egyptian pounds a month, or just under 400 shekels. Even if we take the higher average wage, it stands at about 5,000 Egyptian pounds a month – 615 shekels.
A liter of gasoline for one and a half shekels
Egypt is going through a severe economic crisis, partly caused by the war between Russia and Ukraine, because Egypt purchased grain and grain from Ukraine, the price of which has increased significantly due to the Russian blockade. Inflation reached about 23 percent a year. Egypt has been forced to obtain loans from the International Monetary Fund and is courting the Gulf states for economic aid.
Menu at one of the camps near Nuweiba, a few months ago,
The prices of many products in Egypt have risen by about 30 percent in the past two years. Still, the prices of goods and services for the Egyptian citizen are very cheap compared to Israel. For example, the cost of a liter of gasoline in Egypt as of August 2023 is NIS 1.48 (subsidized); A large bottle of mineral water is sold in stores and supermarkets for about 70-80 agorot, while in camps the price rises to NIS 5-7 per Israeli tourist. An air-conditioned cabin in a camp for an Israeli family can cost about NIS 300 a night – half the average salary in Egypt. Drawing parallels to salaries in Israel is like paying NIS 5,000 a night for an air-conditioned basic cabin on the beach, or for a plate of hummus for NIS 300. By the way, the Egyptian government is not putting its hand on the plate either: in recent years, the transit tax on the Taba border on the Egyptian side has been raised from 120 Egyptian pounds to 400 Egyptian pounds.
"Return to independent camping"
Adv. Guy Shiloh, director and founder of the "Sinai Lovers" group on Facebook, is aware of the harsh reality – and the many complaints. "My opinion is that we should return to Sinai as an area of free hiking, independent camping," Shiloh says. "Arrive with your private car, even though the restriction of 70 vehicles a day imposed by Israel due to the purple badge continues, at the request of Egyptians, who benefit from the fact that Israelis are forced to take taxis."
The Egyptians refuse to increase the quota of vehicles. Taba crossing, photo: Ran Shauli
Shilo has been concentrating efforts lately in an attempt to cancel the restrictions on the entry of Israeli vehicles into Sinai, since the demand is hundreds of percent higher than the existing limit, but so far it seems that the Egyptian side has not responded to Israeli requests. He is also trying to overturn Egypt's draconian new directive, according to which a vehicle with a dashcam or rear camera must not cross into Egypt and must be dismantled before crossing. In many new cars, the rear camera is built as part of the rear bumper, and disassembling it is very complicated and expensive.
Vacationers' Guide
So what do we do? How do you vacation in Sinai without getting stung?
- Save the expensive taxis and enter with your private car, you need patience, crossing the border with a long and exhausting vehicle. There's also a bus from Taba to Dahab and Sharm twice a day, passing through Nuweiba's beaches, for just a few shekels. Sinai also currently has 95-octane gasoline at stations.
- You check prices in advance at camps, you don't go to camps that make up the price. There are still a number of camps with fair prices.
- They insist on paying in Egyptian pounds and not shekels.
- If you're already at camp – don't order at the restaurant and sign up for an account at the end of your stay. This is a recipe for a price sting that quite a few Israelis have experienced.
- They exchange the camps for hotels in Nuweiba, Dahab or Sharm el-Sheikh. True, you won't wake up in the morning on the beach, but the value is better and cheaper, and you can still spend all day at camps or beaches.
- Find out the price of each dish in the restaurant. If the menu does not show prices or prices in shekels – this is a warning sign. Anyone who enters with an unlimited car to the more or less expensive restaurant in his camp/hotel.
- Buy soft drinks, ice or mineral water in shops in cities, and put in a cooler. The difference can reach hundreds of percent.
- Bargain. Not in restaurants and hotels but yes in shops. Egyptian merchants have already learned to say that "in Tel Aviv it costs much more," but it's not Tel Aviv – it's Egypt.
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