Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly met today with members of the Advisory Committee for the Development of Egyptian Tourism, in the presence of Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities; Dr. Sameh El-Hefny, Minister of Civil Aviation; and Hossam El-Shaer, Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Federation, to follow up on a number of issues related to this important file.
At the start of the meeting, Madbouly noted that tourist flow indicators this year are showing outstanding figures, and government estimates point to expected successive increases in the number of tourists arriving in Egypt, given the current momentum, especially after the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is why the government is always keen to listen to the views of the committee members on this file.
The Prime Minister added that work is under way with the Ministry of Civil Aviation to increase the size of the national fleet, with about 28 new EgyptAir aircraft to be introduced starting next January, over a period of two years, while work is also under way to facilitate the entry of various private companies into Egyptian airports.
Dr. Mostafa Madbouly pointed out that the offering of Egyptian airports for management and operation by the private sector has begun, and that work is also under way to increase the capacity of a number of airports, helping to accommodate the current increases in arrivals, alongside improving management and operational efficiency.
The Prime Minister added that the government is also working to improve the experience of tourists from the moment they enter the airport until they leave it and return to their countries, including facilitating visa-on-arrival and e-visa procedures.
Madbouly explained that, as for the tourism sector, the government aims to double the number of hotel rooms, which is the role of tourism investors, noting that the government has launched initiatives in this regard, as well as efforts to simplify licensing and operating procedures, including the decision approved by the Cabinet on changing residential use to hotel use.
The Prime Minister said: "We are working to improve the tourist's experience inside Egypt when visiting any tourist area, and the government is open to cooperating with the private sector on managing tourist areas at the highest level."
During the meeting, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy explained the efforts currently under way on e-visas and visas on arrival, to make it easier for tourists to obtain them.
The minister added that the tourism sector has been included in all the incentives contained in the Investment Law, also going on to explain the ministry's efforts, in coordination with tourism investors, to increase the number of hotel rooms.
For his part, Minister of Civil Aviation Dr. Sameh El-Hefny reviewed the ministry's efforts to increase the aviation fleet and renew the aircraft currently in service, explaining that EgyptAir will add about 28 new aircraft to its fleet, while Air Cairo is expected to increase its fleet by 40 new aircraft. The minister stressed: "We also make it easy for any investor to operate their aircraft, and we welcome that."
The Minister of Civil Aviation also discussed the details of the major project currently under way to increase the capacity of Cairo International Airport, and touched on the expansion and development works also being carried out at other airports, including the New Alamein City airport. He added: "We are ready for full cooperation that helps boost tourism traffic and increase the number of arrivals."
During the meeting, members of the advisory committee presented a number of proposals that would help increase tourist numbers, as well as proposals on the management of airports and tourist destinations and on improving the tourist experience, in addition to reviewing a number of different challenges and approaches to dealing with them, according to the official Facebook page of the Egyptian Cabinet.
