Egypt's Tourism Minister Rania Al Mashat received a World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Champion Award at the 2019 Global Summit in Seville, Spain, for her country’s work on developing tourism sector.
The Egyptian tourism sector kept on its outstanding growth with a percentage of 16.3%, exceeding the global average of 3.9%, according to a statement released by the WTTC.
President of WTTC Gloria Guevara and Chief Executive Officer and President of Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. handed over the prize to Mashat at the Gala Dinner, held on the fringe of the summit.
Video of Mashat's receiving the prize
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During the ceremony, Guevara said: “[Minister] Al-Mashat and the Arab Republic of Egypt have shown what it means to truly prioritize the recovery of Travel & Tourism following a period of crisis. She has recognized the power of our sector as a driver of economic growth, job creation and social advancement across the whole country.”
Mashat is the first minister from the Middle East region to receive an award from the global body.
Rania Al Mashat's comments after receiving the prize
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During her speech, the minister pointed out the Tourism Ministry adopted a structural reform program in cooperation with the public and private sectors to cope up with the global trends and surrender the sector shock-resistant.
While expressing her happiness for receiving such an award, she gave the prize to the public and private sectors and all the Egyptian tourism sector's members.
[caption id="attachment_43848" align="aligncenter" width="500"] 2019 Global Champion Award for Mashat[/caption]
She added that the ministry is working hard to achieve the sustainable tourism aligning with the international standards.
[caption id="attachment_43855" align="aligncenter" width="599"] Rania Al Mashat on Twitter After Receiving the Award [/caption]
In its statement, the WTTC attributed the boost in tourism in Egypt to the hugely improved security infrastructure, which has helped to attract more tourists back to the Egyptian shores. It allowed major global travel companies to restart operations in popular destinations.