As part of the forum and workshop opened today by Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy under the title "The Role of Data in Enhancing the Digital Shaping of Tourist Destinations' Image", organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in cooperation with the global platform Tripadvisor, the first session was held to discuss trends in global tourism markets and insights on the Egyptian tourist destination.
During the session, Tim Schofield, Principal Partner for Client Relationship Management at Tripadvisor, one of the world's largest online platforms specializing in travel and tourism, gave a presentation in which he explained that about 80% of travelers make sure to check reviews of tourist destinations before making a travel decision, which helps ensure the quality of the tourism experience during the trip.
He stressed that the Egyptian destination is distinguished by the authenticity and diversity of the tourism experiences it offers, adding that visitor reviews on Tripadvisor reflect growing passion and interest in Egypt from a large number of key tourism markets, along with high rates of tourists wishing to visit again and to share their tourism experiences across various digital platforms.
He added that reviews of the Egyptian destination, particularly over this year and last year, have been notably positive, reflecting the distinction of the tourism experience Egypt offers its visitors. He also touched on the role of artificial intelligence and its growing impact on travel planning and booking, noting that a growing segment of tourists now relies on AI technologies to organize their trips.
He also referred to the partnerships Tripadvisor has established with the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority to promote the Egyptian destination, which were based on rediscovering Egypt and its tourism and archaeological assets and highlighting the diversity of its tourism products and its ability to offer multiple experiences that suit different interests and tastes. He stressed that the large volume of data and reviews generated by travelers' experiences represents a wealth of knowledge that can be harnessed in efforts to promote Egypt in the coming period.
This was followed by a panel discussion titled "Egypt... Unmatched Diversity... One Destination, Multiple Experiences", moderated by Rana Gohar, Adviser to the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for Communication and External Relations and General Supervisor of the General Department of International Relations and Agreements at the ministry, with the participation of Eng. Ahmed Youssef, head of the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority; Karim Mohsen, Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Travel and Tourism Companies and Agencies; Karim El-Minabawy, a member of the chamber's board and head of its Outbound Tourism Committee; and Sherif El-Ghamrawy, founder of Basata Ecolodge and head of the Sustainable Tourism Association.
The session addressed ways to showcase the tourism diversity of the Egyptian destination to tour operators, travel companies and their customers, helping to attract more tourists by offering integrated tourism programs that reflect the richness and variety of Egyptian tourism products, both traditional and new, and that cater to different categories and interests of tourists.
The efforts made by the ministry to develop existing tourism products and create new ones in line with the ministry's strategy and vision were also reviewed, along with highlighting the role of the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority and the various promotional tools it relies on, including cooperation with industry partners and organizing familiarization trips to promote the Egyptian tourist destination.
Participants stressed the importance of travel companies developing the way they present tourism programs and presenting the Egyptian destination in an innovative way that highlights the diversity of tourism experiences, activities and sites, helping to spark tourists' enthusiasm for an integrated and distinctive tourism experience.
At the end of the session, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy stressed that tourism is fundamentally based on the experiences and activities tourists engage in during their visit. He also stressed the importance of intensifying marketing efforts for the Egyptian destination, highlighting the possibility of combining different tourism products and promoting the idea of "a destination within a destination", as well as the need to understand the trends and interests of target tourists when developing marketing plans.
He noted that Egypt has unique and diverse tourism assets that must be showcased in the best possible way, stressing that tourism rests on freedom, security and safety of movement and travel.
