A Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities delegation, headed by Minister Ahmed Issa, participated in ITB Berlin, the world’s largest tourism trade fair, between March 7 and 9.
It is the first time that the ITB Berlin has been held in person since the Covid-19, as it has been held virtually since this crisis.
The Egyptian pavilion hosted 97 exhibitors, including EgyptAir; Air Cairo; Nesma Airlines, and the Egyptian Federation of Tourist Chambers, along with 60 hotels and 32 tour operators.
Minister Issa held a series of meetings on the side-lines of the fair, taking the chance to communicate with professional partners in the travel and tourism industry in Germany and around the world.
On March 7, the minister met Eebastian Ebel, chairman of the Management Board of TUI Germany, Thomas Bösl, president of the Quality Travel Alliance, Europe’s largest travel and tourism alliance and Ralph Schiller, CEO of the FTI Group.
During these meetings, the minister reviewed his ministry’s objectives and strategy for the development of tourism, the most important of which is to provide greater access to the Egyptian tourist destination and to double the number of airline seats coming to Egypt in cooperation with the Ministry of Civil Aviation. He also dwelt on his ministry’s efforts to raise the quality of tourism services provided in tourist and archaeological sites in Egypt.
Issa was one of the speakers in the ministerial roundtable of the ITB which discussed the transformation processes in the tourism industry at the global level.
He highlighted the importance of the Egyptian private sector’s role in leading the tourism industry and achieving various successes.
The minister also spoke about the national strategy for the development of tourism in Egypt, which aims to achieve rapid growth in the industry, ranging from 25 per cent to 30 per cent annually.
Issa also reviewed the efforts Egypt is making and the measures it is taking to expand digital transformation in the tourism and antiquities sector, encourage hotel investments and increase the capacity of hotel rooms to meet the ministry’s goal of developing incoming tourism and increasing demand.
The minister also held a press briefing. He referred to the picturesque nature and the diverse tourism potentials that the Egyptian tourist destination enjoys.
Issa also referred to Egypt’s many museums and unique archaeological sites.
“All these components give tourists a rich and varied experience,” Minister Issa said.
He highlighted the facilities offered by Egypt for obtaining tourist visas.
These facilities, he said, aim to increase incoming tourist traffic and encourage tourists of different nationalities to visit Egypt.
On March 8, the minister discussed with Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, minister of the economy of the United Arab Emirates, ways of enhancing cooperation in encouraging tourism investments.
He also met his Jordanian counterpart Makram Al-Qaisi to discuss cooperation mechanisms and easing the tourism movement between Egypt and Jordan.
The two ministers also discussed a proposal to prepare an executive programme to enhance tourism cooperation and integration.
Issa also met Mohamed Moez Belhassine, minister of tourism and handicrafts in Tunisia, and a parliamentary delegation from Morocco.
He discussed means of bolstering tourism cooperation, especially through the exchange of experiences and activating mechanisms to encourage the tourist movement between Arab countries.
This, the Egyptian minister said, would contribute to creating an integrated regional tourism product.
On March 9, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities launched a new promotional campaign.
Titled ‘Your Expectations are History‘, the campaign was launched in the main markets targeted by the ministry. A film about the campaign was broadcast during the ITB.
The Egyptian pavilion in ITB won the second best pavilion award in Africa for its distinctive design and uniqueness in highlighting Egyptian culture and civilisation.
The design of the pavilion was inspired by the layout of the Grand Egyptian Museum with a model of the Great Staircase with reproductions of statues on it. The façade of the pavilion is in the form of two large edifices with screens displaying various tourism and promotional films and pictures and the logo of Egypt.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities also launched the promotional website of the Egyptian General Authority for Tourism Promotion in English.
This site contains everything important for tourists in terms of information about Egypt and about travelling to its various tourist destinations. It also provides everything a tourist needs before and during travel, including information on how to obtain an entry visa to the country, tourist places, archaeological sites and museums open for visiting, working hours, and weather conditions so that he can prepare well for his trip.
The ITB is held annually and is considered the most important and largest international tourism gathering with more than 10,000 exhibitors representing more than 180 countries. It has more than 170,000 visitors, including 110,000 professional visitors, as well as 1,000 major investors in the tourism sector, in addition to the media presence from 70 countries and 400 bloggers from 30 countries.
Egypt has also participated in the ITB annually since 1971.
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