Sunday 22 Dec
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathi met with Daniela Garnero Santanchè, Italy's Tourism Minister, in Hurghada to discuss enhancing tourism cooperation between the two countries.
During the meeting, Egypt and
Italy discussed ways to enhance tourism cooperation and mechanisms to boost
inbound tourism from Italy to Egypt in the coming period.
The meeting was attended by a
delegation accompanying the minister, Michele Quaroni, the Italian Ambassador
to Cairo, Amr el-Qady, CEO of the Egyptian General Authority for Tourism
Promotion, Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council
of Antiquities, and Mohamed Amer, Head of the Central Administration of Hotels,
Shops, and Tourism Activities at the Ministry.
Sherif Fathi opened the meeting
by welcoming the Italian Minister to Egypt and specifically to Hurghada,
expressing his hope that she would have a pleasant and enjoyable visit during
which she could explore the diverse tourist and archaeological attractions
Egypt is famous for.
The meeting also underscored the
strong bilateral relations and close cooperation between Egypt and Italy in the
field of tourism. It emphasized the importance of tourism as a key driver of
social and economic development in both countries.
The importance of tourism as a
means of fostering peace among the peoples of the world was also emphasized. Fathi
reiterated his belief that tourism should ensure tourists' freedom and provide
ease of transportation and movement in various tourist destinations.
Both ministers underscored the
importance of enhancing vocational training and developing skills to increase
job opportunities and support the growth of the tourism industry in both
countries. In this context, they commended the opening of the Italian Hospitality
School in Hurghada, a joint venture between "FederTurismo
Confcommercio" (the Italian Hospitality School) and the
"Bicalbatros" group, with the support of the Egyptian Ministry of
Tourism and Antiquities, the Italian Ministry of Tourism, and the Italian
Embassy in Egypt. This project aims to provide vocational training for Egyptian
youth in the fields of tourism and hospitality to the highest international
standards.
The two ministers expressed their
appreciation for this innovative model of public-private partnership between
the two countries, which is based on mutual benefit and addressing development
needs. They also indicated their interest in exploring ways to replicate this
model in future projects.
The meeting also explored ways to
collaborate on creating new tourism products and experiences between the two
countries, cooperate in promoting cultural and health tourism, and develop
mechanisms for implementing joint tourism programs to attract tourists from
geographically distant countries to visit Egypt and Italy.
Fathi affirmed that the ministry
is working collaborate on implementing new and diverse tourism programs with
various tourism products and experiences for tourists in coordination with
international tour operators, especially given Egypt's great tourism diversity.
Both ministers expressed their
desire to strengthen cooperation between the tourism ministries in the two
countries through exchanging information, expertise, and best practices related
to tourism policies, which enhances sustainable growth and high quality in this
sector. Additionally, they identified areas of joint work to fully leverage the
potential of the tourism sector in both Egypt and Italy and to enhance
cooperation opportunities between the tourism sectors in the two countries.
This meeting represents a significant step towards strengthening bilateral relations between Egypt and Italy in the field of tourism and supporting economic and social development through this vital sector.
