The Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority organized a familiarization trip for a delegation of 32 leading Belgian tour operators and travel company representatives, in cooperation with Belgian tour operator 7Plus, one of the most prominent players in the Belgian market and a supporter of promoting Egypt as a destination for more than 31 years. The trip aimed to introduce the delegation to Egypt's diverse tourism and cultural assets, especially in Cairo and Alexandria, as part of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' efforts to promote Egypt in the Belgian market.
Dr. Ahmed Youssef, CEO of the authority, stressed that the Belgian market is one of the promising European markets for Egypt, noting that the trip is part of the authority's strategy to open new horizons for cooperation with tourism industry partners in Belgium and build on the notable growth in Belgian tourist arrivals to Egypt.
The familiarization trip included visits to a number of the most prominent tourist and archaeological sites reflecting the richness and diversity of Egyptian civilization through the ages. In Cairo, the delegation visited the Giza Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Old Cairo and the Citadel of Salah El-Din. In Alexandria, the tour included the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Citadel of Qaitbay, the Greco-Roman Museum, Pompey's Pillar and the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa.
For their part, members of the delegation expressed their admiration for the unique diversity of tourism, cultural and archaeological assets they saw, and the exceptional mix of history and rich civilization that distinguishes Egyptian cities.
On the sidelines of the visit, Emad Fathy, Head of the authority's Central Department of Tourist Offices, met the Belgian delegation to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation and increase inbound tourism from the Belgian market to Egypt, in the presence of Hayam Farouk, Director of the Western Europe Unit at the authority's General Department of Foreign Offices, and Iman Raouf, a member of the Western Europe Unit.
