El-Wassif: Specialized committees will play an important role in restoring Egypt's tourism standing through mechanisms binding on the parties concerned
By Akram Medhat
The meeting of the board of directors of the Egyptian Tourism Federation, chaired by Ahmed El-Wassif, addressed several topics of importance to the sector, including training and the development of the federation-owned centers that provide this service, as well as the technical education development project known as TVET, in addition to the federation's role in some national projects and events, including the Africa Cup of Nations, and the objectives and action plan of the specialized committees of the federation's board and coordination between them and the chambers.
El-Wassif stressed that the federation attaches great importance to training, and the sector should give it all the care and support needed to raise the level of human resources, the most important element in the tourism system, since it depends primarily on service.
El-Wassif said that the development of work at the federation's training centers was discussed, as well as the start of operating the European Union's "TVET II" grant through activating the related project, through which about 5,000 trainees are expected to be trained, including current employees, job seekers and entrepreneurs, in various tourism activities, whether hotel work in all its specialties, tourism services provided by tourism companies, or handicrafts and tourist goods, particularly those Egypt is famous for, which should be developed given their importance as an attraction that tourists are keen to buy.
El-Wassif added that the board discussed developing the culinary arts centers in Giza and Luxor governorates, revealing that several cooperation agreements are planned to be signed with local and foreign entities serving the sector's interest, to develop the training centers in general and achieve the required sustainability and economic operation for some of them, which will be announced in due course.
Separately, El-Wassif pointed out that the federation, in cooperation with an Egyptian consultancy firm, has begun a diagnostic study of the federation, its administrative capabilities and its current regulations, to qualify it to perform its important role in cooperation with the various chambers, especially since the elected boards of the federation and the chambers came after three years during which their affairs were run by caretaker committees within the limits of their powers. Consequently, the issues raised and the files requiring urgent decisions are unprecedented in both quantity and quality, including training, completing the electronic linkage with the relevant authorities and ministries, the status of the federation and chambers' building in Sheikh Zayed City, and reviewing contracts and obligations of all kinds.
The meeting touched on the plans set by the heads of the federation's specialized committees and their use of members of the general assembly and the five chambers to broaden the base of participation in technical decision-making, especially at this stage as Egypt regains its tourism standing and attracts new markets, as well as offering diverse tourism products.
El-Wassif explained that the specialized committees include the training committee, training centers, the legal committee, and a special committee to ensure everyone's commitment to selling at prices commensurate with Egypt's tourism standing through a specific mechanism binding on all parties, as well as committees for communication and media, and for environmental preservation and sustainable tourism, noting that members requested the creation of other committees, including taxes and social insurance, which is being studied.
