Egyptian Tourism Minister Visits Madrid to Discuss Bilateral Cooperation with Spain

On Saturday, Egypt's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Ahmed Issa, embarked on a visit to Madrid, Spain. His agenda began with attending a forum organized by the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE), where key figures such as Rosana Morillo, Spain's State Secretary for Tourism, Youssef Makawy, Egypt's Ambassador to Spain, and Mona Aref, Minister Counselor at the Egyptian Embassy in Spain, were present. The event also saw the participation of Enrique Cerezo, President of the Culture and Sports Committee at CEOE.

The forum was attended by officials from Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, including Yomna El Bahar, Assistant Minister for Technical Affairs and Minister's Office, and Ahmed Youssef, Assistant Minister for Institutional Communication and the Ministry's Spokesperson. The gathering also attracted numerous representatives from the tourism and aviation industries, hotel businesses, and investors from the Spanish market.

During the forum, Minister Issa presented Egypt's National Tourism Strategy, which aims to attract 30 million tourists by 2028. He highlighted three main pillars of the strategy: increasing the number of flights to Egypt in cooperation with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, enhancing the investment climate for tourism in Egypt, particularly in the hotel sector, and improving the overall tourist experience by elevating the quality of services provided.

Issa proudly noted that Egypt achieved a record number of tourists last year, with 14.906 million visitors. The ministry is keen on diversifying its tourism markets, focusing on 18 targeted tourist markets, including the Spanish market. The ministry's focus is on four key tourism products where Egypt holds a competitive edge, accounting for 55% of global tourist preferences. These products include cultural tourism, adventure tourism, beach tourism, and family tourism, catering to tourists seeking comprehensive and diverse experiences.

Issa also pointed out Egypt's increasing share in the global tourism movement, reaching 1.2% in 2023, marking a 33% growth from 2019. Egypt aims to elevate its global tourism share to 1.6% - 1.7% by 2028, positioning itself to achieve its goal of welcoming 30 million tourists. This visit underscores the strengthening ties between Egypt and Spain in the tourism sector and highlights Egypt's proactive steps towards achieving its ambitious tourism targets.