Minister of Tourism: The importance of working to create new tourism products to be combined with well-known ones in cooperation with local and international industry partners
Authenticity in Egypt will remain an attractive and distinctive element in various tourism experiences, especially regarding local culture
Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, delivered the opening speech at the forum and workshop organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities today at the Grand Egyptian Museum under the title "The Role of Data in Enhancing the Digital Shaping of Tourist Destinations' Image", in cooperation with the global platform Tripadvisor, one of the world's largest online platforms specializing in travel and tourism, in light of the existing partnership between the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority and the platform.
The opening session was attended by a number of leaders from the ministry and the authority, representatives of Tripadvisor, as well as representatives of the Egyptian Tourism Federation and the specialized chambers, and the private tourism sector, including travel companies and hotel and tourism establishments.
Fathy reviewed the objectives of organizing this important forum, among them the ministry's keenness to convey and exchange discussions on global tourism market indicators and analyses and share them with attendees, especially the private tourism sector, helping to unify visions and strengthen the ability to keep pace with developments in the global tourism market and promote Egypt more effectively to achieve the targets of the tourism industry in Egypt. He noted that he had reviewed part of these indicators and analyses during his meeting with Tripadvisor officials on the sidelines of his recent visit to London to take part in WTM London.
He pointed out that the forum also aims to explore mechanisms for maximizing the benefit of Egypt's tourism diversity and working to create new tourism products to be combined with well-known tourism products, in cooperation with local and international industry partners, especially tour operators and travel companies, noting that Egypt already has multiple tourism assets and diverse tourism types and products unmatched globally.
Fathy stressed that this vision represents the ministry's current strategy, noting that it is a long-term vision based on sustainable tourism assets, as Egypt enjoys a unique diversity that includes beach, desert, cultural and spiritual tourism, among other types of tourism.
The minister explained that all promotional campaigns launched by the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority focus primarily on highlighting this tourism diversity under the slogan "Unmatched Diversity".
He added that this tourism diversity helps encourage tourists to return to Egypt to discover a different tourism experience each time, which will be reflected in Egypt offering more distinctive tourism products, noting that the forum's first session would discuss this tourism diversity.
The minister said the forum's second session would address the importance of highlighting authenticity in the tourism experience, as it is one of the drivers of tourists' choice of destinations, with tourists increasingly looking for destinations that stand out in this regard.
He noted that authenticity in Egypt will remain an attractive and distinctive element in various tourism experiences, especially regarding local culture, which sets the tourism experience in Egypt apart from many other countries, given the richness, direct interaction and genuine mixing with the local community it offers through multiple types of tourism, which is greatly appreciated by tourists.
In his speech, Eng. Ahmed Youssef, head of the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority, pointed out that the authority has a number of partnerships with global partners to promote the Egyptian tourist destination, particularly in digital marketing, including its partnership with Tripadvisor, explaining that the contracts concluded by the authority this year were not limited to promotion but also aimed at cooperation in developing and raising the efficiency of the authority's staff by organizing various training courses and specialized workshops, such as today's event.
He added that these partnerships also aim to transfer and exchange expertise and knowledge with colleagues in the private tourism sector on the latest global trends in the travel and tourism industry and developments in global markets.
Youssef stressed that the private tourism sector is a key partner in the tourism industry and plays a pivotal role in promoting Egypt and implementing various promotional campaigns, helping to boost tourism flows and revenues.
Attending the opening session from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities were Dr. Ahmed Ghoneim, CEO of the Grand Egyptian Museum Authority; Ahmed Obeid, Assistant Minister for Diwan Affairs and Permanent Undersecretary of the ministry; Eng. Mostafa Ali El-Din Imam, Assistant Minister for Minister's Office Affairs; Samia Samy, Assistant Minister for Tourism Companies Affairs; Hossam El-Shaer, Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Federation; and a number of heads and board members of the specialized tourism chambers.
It is worth noting that this event was organized as part of the ministry's strategy and in light of the current partnership with Tripadvisor, as the authority launched a campaign with the platform to promote the Egyptian tourist destination last September, which will continue until June 2026. It includes activities spanning the whole year with a focus on the main tourism seasons, targets 9 key European markets, and aims to raise awareness of Egypt's tourism brand and gauge travelers' attitudes through specialized research on their perception of Egypt as a tourist destination.
