By Mohamed Mussa
The Integrated Management of Cultural Tourism (IMCT) project, funded by the USAID, in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, announced the launch of a capacity-building programme in the field of tourism and cultural business management “Tourism Skills for All” in Historic Cairo and Luxor.
Olivier Messmer, project manager, stated that the “Tourism Skills for All” workshop aims to engage community members and companies in the targeted areas to register for upcoming training opportunities to build their capacities and enhance their participation in the cultural tourism sector.
The capacity building programme is offered free of charge to the people of Cairo and Luxor and lasts for one year in the areas of entrepreneurship, customer service, language, hospitality, food safety and security, marketing and cultural management, among other topics.
USAID’s IMCT project seeks to support and sustain the tourism sector in Egypt by fostering the creative works of people in specific locations in Luxor and Cairo, he added.
He indicated that the project is working to build on the restoration efforts at World Heritage sites in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
USAID’s IMCT project is the first of its kind in Egypt to develop integrated frameworks and specific implementation policies to sustainably manage cultural tourism in Egypt and create a unique and authentic tourism experience for the visitor, in line with global market trends.
The USAID confirmed that the project aims to rehabilitate and revive many cultural heritage sites and achieve financial sustainability by encouraging private investment, as well as developing various tourism products based on the intangible heritage of community members.
The project is also keen on building the capacities of workers in the tourism sector in selected areas and assisting them in marketing their products in a way that generates income and provides them with a decent life by creating new job opportunities for them to enhance their involvement in tourism.
Messmer also explained that the USAID is intensifying its efforts to restore heritage sites and enhance the role of tourism as a major driver of economic growth and employment, as tourism creates millions of jobs and pumps billions of dollars in foriegn currency into the Egyptian economy. Over the past 25 years, the United States has contributed more than $100 million to preserve dozens of cultural heritage sites across Egypt, from Aswan to Alexandria.
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