Tourism Minister discusses with the association's president the possibility of Egypt hosting its annual meeting in 2027 and 2028
President of the French tour operators' union: Egypt is among the top 10 destinations favored by French tourists
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy held two meetings, with Valérie Boned, President of the French travel agencies association Les Entreprises du Voyage (EDV), and Patrice Caradec, President of the French tour operators' union Syndicat des Entreprises du Tour Operating (SETO), and their accompanying delegations, during his official visit to the French capital Paris, to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation and drive more inbound tourism from the French market to Egypt.
During the two meetings, the minister stressed that the French market is one of the important European source markets for tourism to Egypt, noting the importance of working with industry partners in France to increase Egypt's share of this market and building on the diverse assets of Egypt as a destination that meet the interests of French tourists, who are known for their passion for ancient Egyptian civilization and culture, as well as their interest in the other types of tourism offered by Egypt's various destinations.
The minister also reviewed the ministry's strategy for promoting Egypt as a destination, which is based on highlighting the great diversity of tourism products and types, encouraging French tourism companies to design more diverse programs combining cultural, beach, eco and adventure tourism and more, helping to extend tourists' stays and increase tourist spending.
Sherif Fathy also spoke about the growth indicators of Egypt's tourism sector. The two meetings discussed implementing marketing programs and joint promotional campaigns with industry partners in France, as well as organizing familiarization (fam) trips for representatives of French tourism companies and travel agents, helping to introduce them to Egypt's various destinations and tourism products and open new horizons for expanding their programs in Egypt.
The minister also discussed with the president of EDV the possibility of Egypt hosting the association's annual meeting in 2027 and 2028, reflecting the standing of Egypt as a destination and providing an opportunity to promote it to senior officials of the French tourism sector.
The president of SETO also noted that Egypt is currently among the top 10 destinations worldwide favored by French tourists, especially for cultural tourism and Nile cruises, which are seeing growing demand from the French market.
He noted that the association plans to organize a familiarization trip to Egypt in December, helping participants learn more about the developments and promising tourism opportunities in the destination.
They also expressed their interest in exploring the investment opportunities available on the North Coast, in light of the promising tourism and development projects under way there, and discussing possible cooperation in this regard.
