Sisi meets World Tourism Organization secretary general

CAIRO – 7 May 2018: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi met Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary general of the World Tourism Organization, in the presence of Minister of Tourism Rania El Mashat on Monday, according to official presidency spokesperson Bassam Radi.

Tourism is the primary source of income for the Egyptian economy. Political instability and turmoil after the revolution in 2011 had its toll on the economy and tourism in general.

Sisi made it clear that it is the government’s priority to adopt a new approach for tourism in order to get it back to its prime. The whole tourism sector in Egypt needs reshaping and a new approach to match the government’s new improvement policies.

Radi confirmed in his statements that Sisi decided to prioritize the sector of tourism because it is one of the main pillars of the Egyptian economy and identity in general. Sisi stressed upon the significant role that the organization plays in support of tourism worldwide.

Sisi exposed his interest in cooperating with the organization in order to take the appropriate measures for improving this important sector in Egypt and for eventually achieving sustainable development.

Furthermore, Sisi reviewed the efforts that the country exerts in combating crime and terrorism all around the country, adding that touristic monuments or areas should reach a certain standard of competition amongst each other, creating a wider range of choices for individuals to choose from.

Moreover, the importance of human development and training through intensive workshops and courses are also kept in mind to further develop human skills and levels of training to match the new approach the country is hoping to adopt. Touristic services are also going to be improved to offer more advanced services to customers.

Sisi further stated that Egypt is going to participate in all the events organized by the World Touristic Organization. According to the president, Egypt is going to host a large number of future events organized by the World Tourist Organization, including the 44th meeting of the Middle East Committee, a subsidiary of the mother organization, on May 8 and 9. This reflects the trust the international community has towards Egypt, showing that now is the perfect time to start rebuilding the tourism sector in Egypt.

Sisi explained during the meeting the importance of developing the tourism sector in Egypt, as it is one of the weapons that could be used to combat the terrorism that is trying to separate people. He added that tourism is very important, as it brings nations together and offers a ripe atmosphere for advancement to take place.

Sisi stressed again that Egypt has an ambitious plan to develop the touristic hotpots in Egypt and to create new touristic destinations on both the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea coasts and elsewhere. New museums are going to be built to portray Egypt’s beautiful ancient civilization, including one of the biggest museums in the world.

According to Radi, Pololikashvili expressed his happiness for visiting Egypt, hoping that it will become one of the biggest touristic destinations worldwide. He claimed that this is what Egypt deserves. He further added that he is confident in Egypt’s leadership and people, and their ability for achieving sustainable development, confirming that the organization is going to provide Egypt and its leadership all the support they need in the upcoming period.