Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, took part in the opening of the Global Tourism Forum Annual Meeting, held in the Belgian capital, Brussels, under the theme "Redefining Tourism in a Changing World" and organized by the World Tourism Forum Institute from October 20 to 21 this month.
The Global Tourism Forum is a high-level international event and an international cooperation platform focused on addressing the challenges facing the travel and tourism sector, bringing together leaders, innovators, experts and decision-makers in the sector to discuss its latest developments and future.
This year, the forum focuses on key topics including the role of technology in tourism and the technological innovations shaping the industry, such as artificial intelligence; sustainable tourism and environmental policies; tourism investment trends and their global prospects; public-private sector cooperation; opportunities in emerging markets; improving the competitiveness of tourist destinations; sustainable aviation; and digital transformation at airports and the services that affect the travel experience. The forum seeks to achieve sustainable development models for emerging travel markets, in addition to setting strategies to ensure tourism growth.
The opening was attended by a number of ministers and CEOs of tourism institutions, Shaikha Al Nowais, Secretary-General-elect of UN Tourism, as well as officials responsible for tourism and heritage portfolios at the European Commission.
Also attending from the Egyptian side were Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, Egypt's Ambassador to the European Union, NATO, Belgium and Luxembourg; Eng. Ahmed Youssef, Assistant Minister for Strategic Departments and Acting CEO of the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority; Rana Gohar, Advisor to the Minister for Communication and External Relations and General Supervisor of the ministry's General Department of International Relations and Agreements; Mohamed Farag, Financial and Administrative Supervisor of the tourist office in Berlin, Germany, and the countries under its supervision; and Esraa Osama, Second Secretary at the Egyptian Embassy to the European Union, NATO, Belgium and Luxembourg.
