Ministry of Tourism &Antiquities Follows up Development of Work, Readiness of Points of Holy Family Path in Assiut

In light of the directives of Ahmed Issa, Minister of Tourism &Antiquities, to follow up the development of work and raise the efficiency of tourism services provided at the points located on the path of the Holy Family’s journey in Egypt within the framework of the project to revive it.

Today, Ghada Shalaby, Deputy Minister of Tourism & Antiquities for Tourism Affairs, met with Maj. Gen. Essam Saad, Governor of Assiut, to discuss the extent of the readiness of the points of the path of the Holy Family in Assiut and the urban framework to receive tourists in terms of the availability of tourism services and the necessary infrastructure.

The meeting was attended by Eng. Amr Abdel-Aal, Deputy Governor, Ambassador Mohamed Hegazy, Advisor to the Minister of Local Development for International Cooperation, and Eng. Adel El-Gendy, Director General of the General Department of Strategy at the Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities and the national coordinator of the project to revive the Journey of the Holy Family.

During the meeting, the participants discussed mechanisms that will be followed to expedite the completion of the development of the infrastructure and tourism services necessary to complete the readiness of the points of the path of the Holy Family’s journey inAssiut Governorate. 

They also discussed how to benefit from this product in creating new tourism products in Assiut Governorate, and in increasing hotel capacity. 

And they also discussed the availability of a larger number of accommodation units, within the framework of the ministry's targeting of markets that aim to visit the track points.

  The Governor of Assiut appreciated the concerted efforts of cooperation between the Ministries of Tourism & Antiquities and Local Development to implement the development of all elements related to the two points of the path in the governorate, including the completion of the infrastructure and roads leading to the Muharraq Monastery and Drunkah, which enables incoming tourist trips to them to complete the visit easily and smoothly.

The Deputy Minister of Tourism & Antiquities indicated that the itinerary of the Holy Family's journey in Egypt includes 25 sites that the Holy Family passed by during their trip to Egypt, of which 14 sites carry an archaeological landmark that can be visited, including the Muharraq Monastery and Drunkah Monastery.

She pointed out that the Ministries of Tourism & Antiquities and Local Development were opened during the last period at several points of the path of the Holy Family’s journey in Egypt after the completion of its development, which are the site of Samanoud in Gharbia Governorate, Tell Basta in Sharkia, Sakha in Kafr El-Sheikh, four monasteries in Wadi El-Natrun and its urban surroundings, Jabal Al-Tair in Minya, and the Virgin Mary’s tree in El-Mataria.

She added that the Egyptian General Authority for Tourism Promotion is preparing advertising material for the Jabal Al-Tair station in Minya Governorate as a model to be circulated to the rest of the points.

After the meeting, Drunka Monastery and Muharraq Monastery in Assiut Governorate were visited, and officials of the two monasteries were also met.

Translated by Ahmed Moamar