Saturday 14 Dec

Tourism

Fathi discusses ways to increase Italian tourism


Fathi discusses ways to increase Italian tourism

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.