By Mohamed Moussa
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to co-operate to boost investment in cultural tourism in Egypt.
Leslie Reed, director of the USAID mission in Egypt said: “Our current partnership with EBRD is part of our commitment to support tourism in Egypt and thousands of workers in this vital sector.”
“Throughout the past 25 years, the US has contributed, in co-operation with Egyptian partners, with more than $100 million to conserve dozens of cultural heritage sites in different parts of Egypt from Aswan to Alexandria,” Reed added.
For his part, EBRD deputy chairman Khaled Hamza expressed his pride in the bank’s co-operation with the Integrated Management of Cultural Tourism Project (IMCT) in Egypt, which is funded by USAID.
“It supports our strategic participation in promoting tourism in Egypt and our vision for the economic incorporation of women and youth in local communities,” Hamza said.
“We’re looking forward to participating in the IMCT’s activities to promote sustainable cultural tourism in the country,” Hamza added.
IMCT aims at reviving many cultural heritage sites in Luxor and historic Cairo through encouraging investment promotion for cultural tourism. Project activities support workers in the tourism sector in Egypt through marketing their products in order to improve their living standards and guarantee their participation in the development of sustainable cultural tourism.