Thursday 21 Nov
Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, chaired the first meeting of the General Authority for Tourism Promotion’s board of directors at the ministry's headquarters in the New Administrative Capital.
He indicated that the ministry's
current tourism promotion strategy aims to highlight the diverse tourism
offerings of Egypt to position it as the world’s number one tourist destination
in terms of the variety of tourism types and products. Additionally, the
strategy focuses on diversifying target tourism markets to achieve tourism
economic security and sustainability.
He said that there will be a
greater reliance on digital tourism marketing, especially through various
social media platforms. Plans and visions will be reviewed periodically in
light of dealing with and building on current and future predictions.
The Tourism Authority presented a
summary of its accomplishments during the fiscal year 2023/2024. These include international
promotions: participation in 33 international tourism exhibitions, joint
campaigns with tour operators, and 80 familiarization trips, in addition to digital
marketing through leveraging social media influencers and other online platforms.
Domestic outreach was also reviewed such as supporting local events and raising
awareness about tourism and archaeology. The Authority's efforts have
contributed to promoting Egypt as a diverse and attractive tourist destination.
It approved its budget for the
fiscal year 2024/2025. This budget will be presented to the board of directors
of the Tourism and Antiquities Support Fund.
In addition, the Authority
adopted a tourism promotion plan for the upcoming year. This plan includes
initiatives for both businesses and consumers, local activities, and
participation in international exhibitions.
The Authority discussed the positive outcomes of the government's aviation stimulation program for the summer of 2024. The program, which aims to boost tourism, has resulted in a 7% increase in overall flights compared to the previous year. Specific airports saw even more significant growth: Hurghada experienced a 10% increase, Sharm El-Sheikh 5%, Marsa Alam 12%, and Matrouh and El Alamein 15%.
The Tourism Authority discussed the proposed policy for the upcoming winter aviation stimulation program, which will run from November 2024 to April 2025. The board approved the program's basic rules and will present them to the Tourism and Antiquities Support Fund for further discussion. After approval, the partners will be notified.
