The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) announced that the cruise ship Crystal Serenity transited the canal on Thursday while hosting the 2026 World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Leaders Summit.
The event, themed “Leadership Journey: Recovery, Transformation, and Future Horizons in Tourism,” brought together WTTC Chairman, Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, global tourism executives, ministers, and Egyptian officials.
SCA Chairman Amiral Osama Rabie voiced pride in the canal’s selection as a main stop for the summit, underscoring its growing role in supporting international tourism and trade.
He also highlighted recent upgrades, including expanded services for passenger vessels, flexible marketing policies, and the development of the Suez Canal Yacht Marina in Ismailia as Egypt’s first sustainable marina aligned with green transformation goals.
For his part, Lefebvre praised Egypt as an ideal global tourism destination, citing the country’s cultural heritage and modern infrastructure, and described the canal as a “genius engineering project” linking Europe and Asia.
The ship’s captain, Berger J. Forland, commended the authority’s navigation services and safety measures that facilitate the passage of mega cruise ships.
The Crystal Serenity, operated by Crystal Cruises (A&K), measures 250 meters in length and 34 meters in width, sailing under the Bahamian flag.
