Egyptian, Bahraini tourism ministers talk boosting tourism

CAIRO - 11 December 2024: Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy met with Fatima bint Jaafar Al-Sayrafi, Minister of Tourism in the Kingdom of Bahrain, at the Prince Muhammad Ali Palace Museum in Manial on Tuesday.

 

During the meeting, Sherif Fathy expressed his pride in the strong friendship and brotherhood relations between Egypt and Bahrain, and the continuous development and growth witnessed at all levels, which reflects the strong friendship between the political leaderships in both brotherly countries.

 

The Minister also reviewed the indicators of the incoming tourism movement to Egypt during the current year, noting that it is expected that this movement will witness an increase in the number of tourists by the end of the year by 5 percent compared to last year.

 

He spoke about some of the files currently being developed, including those in light of the introduction of new patterns for tourist accommodation, noting that a draft of the regulations regulating "accommodation units" has been prepared to ensure the required level of quality, security and safety.

 

The importance of benefiting from artificial intelligence technologies and applications in the tourism sector in the two countries, especially for tourism promotion and marketing, was also discussed.

 

The meeting also discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of tourism and boost incoming tourism to the two countries through joint promotion and marketing in some targeted tourism markets. It was agreed to form a working group from the two ministries to coordinate in this regard.

 

It was also agreed to hold a number of professional meetings between representatives of the private sector in the two countries, including tour operators and tourism companies, in the presence of representatives of the tourism chambers and the Egyptian Federation of Tourism Chambers, to discuss mechanisms for implementing this cooperation.

 

For her part, the Minister of Tourism in the Kingdom of Bahrain expressed her country's desire for joint cooperation to benefit from Egyptian expertise in many fields, including the field of digital transformation and the use of modern technology in the tourism sector.

 

In this context, Minister Sherif Fathy welcomed this cooperation, appreciating the importance of joint Arab cooperation in serving the tourism sector in the two countries, especially in light of the depth of Egyptian-Bahraini relations.

 

It was agreed that there would be a point of contact between the two ministries in this regard.

 

The meeting was attended by Fatima Abu Al-Fath, Director of the Office of the Minister of Tourism in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Ambassador Khaled Tharwat, Advisor to the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for International Relations and General Supervisor of the General Department of International Relations and Agreements at the Ministry.