Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli on Sunday held two separate meetings to follow up ways to upgrade yacht tourism and the development project of the Greatest Transfiguration in Saint Catherine.
During the first meeting with Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled el-Anani and Minister of Transport Kamel el-Wazir, Madbouli reviewed the ongoing efforts to remove obstacles to yacht tourism and to revitalise the sector.
The discussions tackled the executive plan to maximise the benefit of yacht tourism, responding to President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s directives to improve this tourist product and develop a strategic plan to spread in other parts of the country.
This type of tourism represents a great added value to the tourism industry in Egypt, the prime minister said.
Egypt’s beaches, extending along the coasts of the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, make it an attractive spot for yacht tourism.
For his part, the transport minister revealed that a higher ministerial committee was formed to design a strategy to attract yacht tourism to Egypt.
Committee members include ministers of tourism, finance and communications and information technology, alongside representatives from the concerned ministries and relevant authorities, Minister el- Wazir said.
The newly-formed committee, chaired by el-Wazir, will identify the promising areas that could attract yacht tourism, as well as setting regulations for the construction and operation of marines.
The Ministry of Transport is responsible for coordinating with all parties concerned to issue licences and collect the prescribed fees, in addition to taking the necessary measures to streamline procedures for obtaining the permits required for the movement of yachts between all Egyptian ports.
According to Minister of Tourism el-Anani, it was agreed during the meeting to hold intensive meetings for the concerned parties to quickly develop the final mechanism with all the procedures required to implement the strategy for reviving yacht tourism in conjunction with the completion of the implementation of the “single window for yacht tourism”.
The final report would be submitted to the prime minister, and later to President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.
In another meeting with Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad and Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Manar, Prime Minister Madbouli stressed that the government is attaching paramount importance to developing Greatest Transfiguration in Saint Catherine .
The project aims to promote St. Catherine’s city globally as a major destination for spiritual tourism and a meeting place for the three monotheistic religions, the premier said.
The project foresees a spiritual shrine established on the mountains surrounding the Holy Valley as a unique area that represents a destination for spirituality and healing.
It also aims to provide tourist and entertainment services to visitors and to link the city with the rest of the coastal areas extending between Al-Tur, Sharm el-Sheikh, and Dahab.
The Greater Transfiguration Project will develop the Monastery of Saint Catherine, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in co-operation with stakeholders in the region.
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