Ahmed Issa, Egypt's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, convened today with Sir Geoffrey Donaldson, the UK Prime Minister's Trade Envoy. Hosted at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, the meeting was graced by the presence of Gareth Bailey, the UK Ambassador to Cairo, Ahmed El-Wassif, the Head of the Egyptian Federation of Tourist Chambers, Ambassador Khaled Tharwat, advisor to the Tourism Minister on International and External Relations, and Peter Abush, the Trade Attaché at the embassy.
Issa began the dialogue by extending a warm welcome to Sir Geoffrey and his delegation, emphasizing the deep-rooted ties and collaboration between Egypt and the UK, particularly in tourism and antiquities sectors. The minister gave an overview of the latest trends in the British tourist influx to Egypt.
Highlighting the ministry's strategic and current marketing endeavors, Issa pointed out their keenness to enhance cooperation with industry partners and the private sector. Such collaboration aims to bolster the tourist offerings in Egypt, especially given the rising demand for Egyptian destinations. He mentioned the various incentives provided by the ministry to stimulate inbound tourism, including the new flight incentive program introduced last May.
A significant portion of the meeting centered around exploring ways to increase the frequency of flights between the two nations.
It's noteworthy to mention that the UK market is among the key contributors to Egypt's tourism sector. The ministry consistently focuses on attracting even more British tourists, underscoring the importance of this demographic in their strategy.