With tourism numbers on the rise, Egypt is making strides to protect its world-famous antiquities for future generations. NY1's Valarie D'Elia filed the following Travel with Val report.

For better or worse, part of the experience of visiting the Giza pyramids in Cairo is fending off a collection of souvenir hawkers who don't easily take no for an answer. But that will all change come September, when the peddler-free zone of the hallowed ground will be pushed back even further behind a wall, to ensure a more meditative vibe.

As a result, tourist buses will no longer be able to park up close, and all souvenir selling and camel riding will take place well beyond the current boundaries.

Tour guide Ahmed Anwar says the peddlers are just feeding off the tourists' interests.

"As long as you keep looking and touching, it means that you might be interested," says Anwar. "So I think they deserve a look and they usually sell good stuff."

Some other restrictions being imposed to improve conditions for the tourist include increased use of headsets by tour groups, so visitors do not have to struggle to hear what the guide is saying.

"Guide is whispering into the ears of people, maybe some of them are at end of temple, and they can still be listening to the guide," Anwar explains.

Tourism officials are also cracking down on flashes and tourists who take pictures of antiquities where it is strictly forbidden, like in tombs and other sacred sites. Under a new law, those caught red-handed risk having their pictures deleted and face a fine of 200 Egyptian pounds, which is about $35 at press time.

For more information, go to EgyptNowus.com.

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