Egypt's Ministry of Tourism is taking part for the first time in the annual international charity bazaar held at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, organized by the United Nations Women's Guild in cooperation with the permanent missions to the United Nations in Geneva, the Swiss government and the Swiss business community. The bazaar will be held on December 3, and Egypt has been chosen to chair it this year.
In light of Egypt's selection to chair the bazaar this year, the Ministry of Tourism is offering a prize of a tourist trip to Egypt for the winners of the lottery draw to be held during the bazaar. The event's organizers praised the prize offered by the ministry, noting that it is one of the best prizes offered this year.
The trip offered by the ministry to the winners is set to include flights to and from Geneva, transfers and accommodation in Egypt, as well as a week-long tour program in Luxor and Aswan, during which they will visit the most important tourist sites, including the temples of Luxor, Horus and Karnak, and some West Bank sites in Luxor, among them the Colossi of Memnon, the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut, in addition to Philae Temple, the Nubian Museum and the “Unfinished Obelisk” in Aswan.
The bazaar aims to fund projects for children in developing countries. Last year it funded about 60 children's projects, two of them in Egypt.
The bazaar draws a large public turnout, with more than 70 countries taking part, including Egypt. These countries set aside spaces to showcase their most famous dishes and heritage products.
For her part, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Tourism, said the importance of the ministry's participation in this event lies in promoting Egypt at various important international forums and events, as this bazaar is one of the most important events held at the United Nations every year.
Al-Mashat praised the bazaar's contribution to funding charitable projects and work of great humanitarian value that play an important and positive role in the development of communities, especially as they are aimed at helping children. She added that such voluntary charitable initiatives give all individuals the opportunity to contribute to social and economic development and to fulfill social responsibility, which is in line with the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals that the Ministry of Tourism has adopted for implementation in the sector.
In a related context, Mahitab Marzouk, this year's chair of the bazaar and wife of Ambassador Alaa Youssef, Egypt's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, stressed the importance of this annual bazaar, which through the projects it funds helps ease the suffering of children around the world, noting that it is the product of voluntary work and effort by the United Nations Women's Guild.
She added that the Ministry of Tourism's first-time participation in the bazaar is a great opportunity to promote Egypt through this major event, which draws a large attendance of about 6,000 people, including staff of various international organizations such as the United Nations, the International Labour Organization and others, and all United Nations agencies, in addition to public figures and private sector representatives invited by the bazaar.
She noted that the event's organizers praised the distinguished prize offered by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism to the winners, as the world is fascinated by ancient Egyptian civilization and eager to visit Egypt.
