February 24, 2016 TnH Global

Cairo Tourism Declaration Announced At “Planning for Growth – Egypt’s Tourism 2016” Event

International research reveals that 53% of tourists defined Egypt as a destination that will be a “must visit” or “next big thing” in the near future

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism hosted a conference in Cairo, which was attended by 200 senior tourism sector representatives from 25 countries, Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and Ambassadors to Egypt from several important tourism markets. During the conference, H.E Hisham Zaazou, Minister for Tourism, announced the “Cairo Tourism Declaration,” which sets out the four main themes that will be the focus of work and resources during the rest of 2016, and beyond, in order to grow the tourism sector sustainably in Egypt:

Security: Ensuring safety and security for everyone travelling within the country, using our airports, visiting our historic sites or enjoying our resorts is a top priority for the Egyptian Government.
Cultural Tourism: The role that Egypt’s historic sites and antiquities plays in attracting tourists is a key factor that will receive enhanced focus around the world, especially with the enticing possibility of a discovery of something behind Tutankhamun’s tomb.
Resorts: The recent establishment of the Cabinet Committee chaired by H.E. Sherif Ismail Prime Minister of Egypt, demonstrates the commitment to progress Egypt’s tourism sector. Its sub-committee, coordinated by Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou, also includes 8 representatives from the private sector. These committees will work very closely with the tourism sector in the country to ensure impactful policy delivery in order to both support and enhance the resorts and hotels and provide an even better experience for visitors.
Telling Egypt’s Story to the World: Impactful international promotion campaigns to tell the world about: The stunning, colossal monuments of Ancient Egypt. The heat, sight and the light of the desert. The turquoise waters. And that no place on earth has the magic and mystery of Egypt.

Minister Zaazou said: “Our market research demonstrates that there is huge interest for tourists to visit Egypt. We need to maximise that potential. This is why the Cairo Tourism Declaration is very significant. The Declaration reinforces commitment to ensure Egypt reclaim for its rightful position as one of the most sought after places to visit in the world”, he concluded.

Minister Zaazou made a commitment to hold this event on an annual basis, with bringing together the key leaders and influencers in global tourism which will include a review on progress on the Declaration and all the actions committed to. The Declaration follows recent research conducted by US polling firm Penn Schoen Berland for the Ministry of Tourism in seven countries from which Egypt draws large numbers of visitors: 61% of tourists stated Egypt is “a place I want to visit in my lifetime” and 53% defined it as a destination that will be a “must visit” or “next big thing” in the near future. This provides a huge potential number of tourists to Egypt given, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation; there were 1.2 billion international tourist arrivals globally in 2015.