The "Cruise Egypt" International Maritime Tourism Forum, "Cruise Egypt Forum", kicked off today in Cairo with the participation of top decision-makers at the local, regional and global levels, including government representatives and global companies specializing in cruise ship trips, with the aim of establishing Egypt as a pivotal regional hub for the global cruise tourism industry.
The Egypt Maritime Tourism Conference is being held under the patronage of Lt. Gen. Kamel El-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Transport and Industry, with the participation of the Maritime Transport and Logistics Sector, the Suez Canal Authority and the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority, reflecting the clear political will to activate this promising sector as an effective economic tool to boost GDP, attract quality investments and raise Egypt's global competitiveness.
Commenting on the conference, Mohamed Gamal, head of the organizing committee of the Egypt Maritime Tourism Conference and Assistant General Manager of GAC Egypt, said the Egypt Maritime Tourism Conference is not built on the idea of merely presenting opportunities, but on the principle of re-engineering Egypt's maritime tourism reality in line with shifts in the global market.
Gamal added: "We aspire to build a modern operating model for the cruise system, based on investing in our port capabilities, facilitating procedures and linking our tourist routes to active international axes. We are moving with a strategic vision aimed at making Egypt a key player on the global cruise map, not only by receiving ships, but by offering an integrated cultural experience that extends from the port to the depth of Egyptian identity. Our vision is built on competitiveness and on creating added value for the Egyptian economy through quality tourism capable of creating sustainable jobs and strengthening Egypt's role as a hub of transit and expertise."
For his part, Jassim Zaiton, director of Zaiton company and technical adviser to the Egypt Maritime Tourism Conference, stated that what we are witnessing today is not just a specialized conference, but a moment of strategic reset for the cruise industry in the region, stressing that Egypt has the assets that qualify it to be a key meeting point between East and West in this sector, and that it now also has the vision, the will and the mechanisms.
He noted that during preparations for the conference, work was done to build an intellectual and executive agenda based on integration between infrastructure, innovation and international cooperation, and that this forum lays the foundation for future alliances, new routes and partnerships that go beyond the limits of tradition, which is what the region needs to play an effective role in the global cruise-linked economy.
Through 5 panel sessions, the Cruise Egypt Forum - Egypt Maritime Tourism Conference presented a comprehensive agenda for restructuring Egypt's cruise system, by discussing challenges, presenting successful international models and reviewing opportunities for cooperation between international operators, port developers and government authorities.
The most prominent of these sessions is the first, titled "Unlocking the Potential of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea", featuring Sacha Rougier, Vice President of Itinerary Planning at Orient Express; Antoine Zoubi, itinerary designer at Silversea, part of the Royal Caribbean group; and Osman Erlar, General Manager of Miray Cruises. It addresses the proposed mechanisms for turning the Mediterranean and the Red Sea into an integrated hub attracting global cruise itineraries.
The second session, which focused on "Promoting the Greater Arab Region", reviewed the experiences of Saudi Arabia and the UAE in developing the cruise system, through Mashhour Bashin, Executive Director at Cruise Saudi; Mohamed Wagdy, Cruise Development Manager at Abu Dhabi Ports; and Jassim Zaiton, director of Cruise Zaiton. The conference also featured an advanced intellectual session titled "Governance and Emerging Technologies in the Age of Artificial Intelligence", presented by Dr. Sally Osman, a global expert in cyber risk management and a former leader at the International Monetary Fund, Aramco and Amazon.
The second day of the conference features a session on "How to Design Successful Cruise Programs" with the participation of Columbia Blu, Orient Express and Miray Cruises, in addition to a specialized session on development plans and facilitating the entry of cruise ships, with the participation of the Suez Canal Authority, the Egyptian Maritime Transport Sector and experts from Abu Dhabi Ports. The conference also includes a closing session titled "Future Opportunities, Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives" with the participation of a group of international institutions, including Oxford Economics, Ayan Consulting and Cruise Zaiton, as well as representatives of specialized media.
