Egypt’s Min. of Tourism and Antiquities participates in Tourism Recovery Summit held in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

CAIRO – 27 May 2021: Egypt’s Minister of Tourism & Antiquities Khaled el-Enany, travelled to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on May 26 to participate in the opening session of the Tourism Recovery Summit that is held within the framework of the 47th meeting of the Middle East Regional Committee of the World Tourism Organization.

The meeting is held in Riyadh on May 26 and May 27. Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed al-Khatib inaugurated the summit. 

Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization Zurab Polikashvili, a number of tourism ministers from around the world, and Egypt's ambassador in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ahmed Farouk attended the summit.

Assistant Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for Technical Affairs Yomna al-Bahar and Supervisor of the Ministry's Central Administration for Public and International Relations Abdel Mohsen Shafi’i were among the Egyptian delegation.

Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed al-Khatib delivered a welcoming speech where he reviewed the measures and regulations taken by the Kingdom to confront the repercussions of the global pandemic, in addition to shedding light on tourism projects in the Kingdom.

Enany spoke about Egypt’s efforts to support the tourism sector that was affected by the repercussions of the pandemic in a way that guarantees the safety of workers in the sector, citizens and tourists. 

Moreover, Enany also spoke about the hygiene safety regulations implemented and the vaccination of workers in the tourism sector in the governorates of South Sinai and the Red Sea, and that vaccination of workers in the sector will begin soon in Cairo, Giza, Luxor and Aswan.

In addition, Enany also spoke about the gradual improvement in the inbound tourism to Egypt, especially since the beginning of 2021, which confirms the confidence in Egypt as a safe tourist destination. He talked about the diversity of offerings in Egypt, its open places, warm sun, natural landscapes, picturesque beaches, museums and unique archaeological sites. 

Furthermore, Enany added that infection rates in the governorates of South Sinai and the Red Sea are almost non-existent.

During the summit, the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities presented a proposal that would contribute to facing the repercussions of the Coronavirus pandemic on the global tourism and travel sector, in which he stressed the importance of formulating clear mechanisms and identifying flexible ways to facilitate the movement of citizens between countries for the purpose of tourism.

Also, Enany mentioned the upcoming events and activities that will be organized by Egypt during the next few months. 

The tourism ministers of Jordan, Morocco, South Africa, France, Greece, the Maldives, Jamaica, India and Malaysia also spoke about their country's experience in facing the negative impact of the Coronavirus, especially on the tourism sector. 

They pointed out the need to consolidate efforts between the authorities concerned with tourism and travel, including the World Tourism Organization and the IATA Organization (AYATA) to develop and formulate a unified mechanism for travel and tourism, and to accelerate and expand the vaccination of all workers in the tourism sector.

The ministers also praised the success of the Pharaohs’ Golden Parade organized by Egypt last April to transfer the royal mummies from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Fustat in a majestic procession, describing it as an “exceptional event”.

In the same context, Enany held several media interviews with a number of newspapers, television channels and Saudi, Arab and international news agencies, during which he spoke about precautionary measures and hygiene safety regulations implemented in Egypt.

The Egyptian Minister of Tourism & Antiquities Khaled el-Enany invited people from all over the world to visit Egypt to enjoy its various and diverse tourist destinations.