Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, held bilateral meetings with Blendi Gonxhja, Albania's Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, and Vijitha Herath, Sri Lanka's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, to discuss ways to strengthen joint cooperation in the fields of tourism and antiquities, on the sidelines of the 26th session of the General Assembly of UN Tourism, hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh from November 7 to 11 this month.
During the meetings, Fathy reviewed the positive indicators in inbound tourist flows to the Egyptian destination over the past year and since the beginning of this year, pointing to Egypt's exceptional diversity of tourism products that cater to the varied tastes and interests of tourists, as well as the ministry's efforts to highlight this diversity and develop more authentic and richer tourism experiences.
He pointed to the efforts made by the Egyptian state to develop the infrastructure supporting the tourism sector, including road and railway networks and upgrading the efficiency of airports, helping to strengthen connectivity between Egypt's various tourist destinations.
The Albanian and Sri Lankan ministers affirmed that the Grand Egyptian Museum is a global civilizational and cultural landmark that adds a unique dimension to the cultural tourism experience in Egypt. They also expressed their countries' aspiration to exchange expertise in the fields of archaeology, museums, antiquities conservation and restoration, as well as to benefit from Egyptian experts in museum management, developing museum display programs, and training staff and students specializing in archaeological fields in Albania and Sri Lanka.
In this context, the Albanian minister expressed his country's desire to hold joint cultural and tourism events, proposing the organization of an Egyptian week in Albania and an Albanian week in Egypt to introduce cultural heritage and strengthen ties between the two peoples, in addition to discussing mechanisms for joint tourism promotion between Egypt and Albania and working to boost two-way tourism by designing joint programs linking tourist destinations in the two countries.
