Egypt, US Strengthen Tourism, Antiquities Cooperation

(MENAFN- Daily News Egypt) Minister of tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathy, met with US Ambassador to Egypt, Herro Mustafa, and her delegation to discuss enhancing cooperation in tourism and antiquities between Egypt and the United States. The meeting also focused on strategies to increase the flow of American tourists to Egypt.

Minister Fathy praised the strong, strategic, and historical relations between Egypt and the United States, highlighting the fruitful cooperation and active partnership spanning many decades. He expressed anticipation for further collaboration with the US Embassy and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Egypt, aiming to strengthen ties in tourism and antiquities while overcoming obstacles to advancing these relations.

Ambassador Mustafa reiterated the productive cooperation between the two countries and emphasized her hope for continued bilateral collaboration, particularly in tourism and antiquities.

Minister Fathy outlined the ministry's strategic plans, focusing on diversifying tourism markets and products and developing each tourism segment individually. This strategy aims to position Egypt as a top global destination for diverse tourism offerings. He also discussed the ministry's role, represented by the Supreme Council of Antiquities, in preserving Egypt's archaeological and cultural heritage through ongoing development and restoration efforts, including the Giza Pyramids area, the Grand Egyptian Museum, and surrounding regions.

The meeting also covered ongoing development and infrastructure improvements in the North Coast and the city of New Alamein, which boasts various cultural, recreational, and tourist attractions. It was noted that New Alamein welcomed visitors from 104 different nationalities this year.

Discussions extended to enhancing joint efforts to attract more American tourists to Egypt and promoting the destination more vigorously in the US market through joint promotional campaigns between the Egyptian Tourism Authority and American tour operators. This includes organizing a tourism caravan in several American cities and holding joint professional workshops between US and Egyptian tour operators. Additionally, the possibility of organizing temporary exhibitions of Egyptian antiquities was discussed, as these exhibitions effectively promote Egypt's cultural tourism, which is particularly favoured by American tourists.

Investment opportunities in Egypt's tourism sector, particularly in hotel investments, were also explored, highlighting their potential to increase the number of hotel rooms to accommodate the targeted influx of tourists. Inviting American tourism investors to explore these investment opportunities was also discussed.

On the archaeological front, the meeting underscored the importance of continuing to enhance cooperation to combat the illegal trafficking of cultural property and antiquities, especially under the cooperation protocol signed between the two countries. Discussions also included investing in sustainable tourism at archaeological sites, raising awareness among local communities about tourism and heritage, and enhancing the capabilities of those working in the antiquities sector in restoration and site management. The possibility of collaboration with American universities to offer training programs on restoration, using the world-class restoration centres at the Grand Egyptian Museum and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, was also considered.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Yumna El-Bahar; Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for American Affairs, Sameh Abu El-Enein; Head of the Antiquities Preservation and Registration Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Hisham El-Leithy, representing the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities; USAID Egypt Mission Director, Sean Jones; and several leaders from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the US Embassy in Cairo.

Egyptian-American relations have seen fruitful cooperation in tourism and antiquities, including the SITE sustainable tourism investment grant, the“Sustainable and Integrated Tourism Investment in Esna” project, and the Integrated Management of Cultural Tourism (IMCT) project. Last week, a tour was organized at the Mamluk Bimaristan in Souq Al-Silah, which is currently being developed under this project in collaboration with USAID. Several American archaeological missions are also actively engaged in excavations across Egypt.

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