Tourism Min. Holds Talks with Major Tour Operators

By Hassan El-Khawaga

BERLIN, March 7 (SEE) - On the fringe of ITB Berlin events, Rania Al Mashat, the tourism minister, held talks with a number of major tour operators worldwide including FTI, Studiosus, LMX, Phoenix Reisen, Schauinsland Reisen, and Der Touristik ETI.

Mashat thanked the representatives of the tour operators for their efforts in boosting the number of tourists flocking to Egypt, especially that the tourists' number mainly depends on the tour operators.

She pointed out that Egypt became the first tourist destination for the German market over the past five years with an increase of 95%, according to FVW, the leading German trade magazine for tourism and business travel.

The minister stressed the importance of partnership with the private sector in this vital field, citing the presence of heads of the Egyptian tourist chambers in the meeting, who had earlier been elected. She also pointed to the ministry's structural reform program which started in November 2018.

"Over the past year, the ministry worked on solving the tour agencies' problems to encourage them to lure more tourists to Egypt," she stated, pointing to the positive outcomes of the charter flight incentive program which contributed to soaring the tourist rates.

Regarding the ministry's promotional campaigns, Mashat said that the ministry is currently reviewing the campaigns' standards, work systems, and controls in order to be more effective and influential, asking the representatives to submit their suggestions about the campaigns.

In the meantime, the delegations lauded the steps taken by the Egyptian ministry, pointing out that the reform program is unique because it is a comprehensive and being implemented in an institutional way in cooperation with the private sector.

During the meeting, they expressed their interest in bolstering cooperation with the ministry in the coming period in light of the increasing demands of their clients to visit Egypt. They also reviewed their plans on upping the tourists' number to Egypt.

The meeting was attended by Red Sea Governor Ahmed Abdulla, South Sinai Governor Khaled Fouda, Ahmed El Wasseef, the president of the Egyptian Tourism Federation (ETF), Chairperson of the Egyptian Chamber of Tourist Establishments (ECTE) Maged Fawzi, and Chief of the Egyptian Travel Agents Association Hossam El Shaer.