Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, held a meeting to follow up on the latest developments in implementing the Corporate Payment System (CPS), which automates payment and collection services for tour group tickets for travel companies licensed by the ministry, as well as reviewing developments in the second phase of the "Rehla" platform for organizing school trips.
During the meeting, the operating mechanisms of the CPS system were reviewed. It represents a qualitative leap in the way travel companies deal with the e-ticketing system for archaeological sites and museums, as it allows licensed travel companies to buy tour group tickets and pay for them electronically through direct bank transfers or bank cards, via a fully secured system that works around the clock, seven days a week, ensuring easy and fast transactions.
The system's operational advantages were also reviewed, including reducing reliance on cash transactions, simplifying procedures, enhancing transparency and governance, and reducing crowding at ticket outlets at archaeological sites and museums, helping improve the overall experience of tourists and visitors.
Fathy stressed that the ministry is moving forward with implementing its vision for comprehensive digital transformation, supporting the development of the tourism work environment and achieving integration between the various elements of the system, stressing the importance of quickly completing all technical and operational modifications and conducting final tests of the system ahead of its official launch in the coming period.
He added that this step will enable travel companies to manage booking and payment operations more efficiently, save time and effort, and improve the quality of services provided, which will be reflected positively on the tourist experience and help increase visit rates to archaeological sites and museums.
For his part, Dr. Mohamed Shaaban, Assistant Minister for Digital Services, explained that the system was developed in response to the needs of travel companies, taking into account the challenges they faced under the traditional system, noting that the new system relies on the latest user experience standards by reducing booking and purchase steps and offering a simple, easy-to-use interface, along with applying the highest security standards to secure financial transactions.
On another note, the meeting reviewed what has been achieved in the second phase of the "Rehla" platform, which aims to expand the service to include Al-Azhar schools nationwide, building on the first phase's success in organizing free school trips for public school students (primary and preparatory) to visit archaeological sites and museums. The second phase also includes new features allowing more flexibility in booking and changing visit dates, and strengthening governance and organization mechanisms.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities stated that the "Rehla" platform has achieved remarkable success since its launch in October 2025, with more than 1,300 schools across all governorates carrying out about 6,500 school trips for nearly 300,000 pupils to more than 70 archaeological sites and museums available for booking through the platform.
It has also helped organize school visits and reduce crowding inside archaeological sites and museums, enabling students to visit these sites easily through an organized and safe digital mechanism, reflecting its role in raising archaeological and cultural awareness among young people.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, and Yasser Effat, Head of the Financial, Administrative Affairs and Human Resources Sector at the Council. From e-finance, the company implementing the system, attendees included Eng. Ahmed Saeed, Head of the Tourism Sector, Islam Abbas, Head of Operations and Collection, Mostafa Amer, Head of the Commercial Sector, and Menna Ashraf, Customer Relations Manager.
