As part of his participation in the Monaco Yacht Show, held from September 24 to 27 this month in the Principality of Monaco, Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, continued his professional meetings to strengthen Egypt's position as a leading destination for yacht tourism.
The minister met with Paschalis Patsiokas, CEO of BWA Yachting, one of the largest global agencies specializing in providing yacht services around the world; Thierry Voisin, President of the European Committee for Professional Yachting (ECPY), one of the oldest and most prestigious organizations in this industry worldwide; Raphael Sauleau, President of MYBA The Worldwide Yachting Association; Christoph Bourllion, representative of the Professional Yachting Association (PYA); and their accompanying delegations.
During these meetings, ways of cooperation and the exchange of expertise and ideas that contribute to developing the yacht tourism product in Egypt and strengthening its presence on the global map of this growing product were discussed.
The minister stressed that the tourism industry is a key pillar of the national economy through its contribution to providing job opportunities and increasing state resources, pointing to the remarkable growth in inbound tourist traffic to Egypt from various markets and highlighting the special importance of yacht tourism, given Egypt's unique natural and marine assets, which extend along thousands of kilometers of coastline on the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, including yacht marinas capable of accommodating growing traffic of this type of tourism.
The minister explained that linking yacht tourism with the diverse tourism experience in Egypt represents a promising opportunity, as programs can be organized for yacht tourists that include trips to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Aswan, as well as enjoying North Coast cities such as New Alamein and Ras El Hekma, especially given their proximity to international airports, allowing for unparalleled integrated tourism experiences.
During his meeting with BWA Yachting officials, the minister discussed the importance of developing yacht marinas in Egypt to provide integrated services that help attract more yacht traffic. The company's CEO praised Egypt's great potential, describing it as "the key to the development of the yachting industry in the entire region," and expressed the company's readiness to offer its expertise and technical support, stressing that Egypt is an ideal destination for yacht tourism, especially during the winter season.
The meeting with the President of the European Committee for Professional Yachting (ECPY) also addressed opportunities for cooperation to attract more yacht tourism to Egypt, while the meeting with the President of MYBA The Worldwide Yachting Association discussed the possibility of operating charter yachts to Egypt as an important means of boosting this tourism product, with the association's president stressing that the Red Sea is an outstanding destination for yacht tourism in the winter season. He also stressed the importance of Egyptian participation in international events related to the yacht tourism product to introduce yacht captains to Egypt and its tourism assets in general, as well as its infrastructure serving this promising tourism product.
The meeting with the representative of the Professional Yachting Association (PYA) addressed the growing expansion of the yachting industry worldwide and the potential that qualifies Egypt to attract larger numbers of tourists interested in this type of tourism, as well as exploring the possibility of organizing joint workshops between Egypt, France and other countries in this field.
These meetings were attended by Ambassador Amr El-Rashidy, Consul General of Egypt in Marseille; Rana Gohar, Adviser to the Minister for Communication and External Relations and General Supervisor of the General Department of International Relations and Agreements at the ministry; and Ahmed Nabil, Assistant to the Minister for Aviation and Follow-up.
In a related context, the minister gave a number of media interviews to international channels and newspapers, including TV5 Monde, TV Monaco and Monte Carlo Times, during which he presented the yacht tourism product in Egypt as one of the most prominent tourism products the state is working to develop, in addition to talking about the Grand Egyptian Museum, scheduled to officially open on November 1, inviting people around the world to visit the museum and enjoy the unique tourism and cultural experience it offers.
