Tourism Minister to attend 22nd UNWTO General Assembly in China

CAIRO - 10 September 2017: Tourism Minister Yehia Rashed left Cairo on Sunday for China to participate in the 22nd session of the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization, according to a press release.

The session titled, "Tourism and Sustainable Development Goals", will be held at the International Conference Center in Chengdu, China from September 11 to 16.

Prior to his departure, Rashed stressed that the ministry is “very interested in green tourism,” adding that the gradual shift towards green tourism has become “important, as the preservation of the environment is a global trend and a key factor in attracting a large segment of tourists.”

Rashed will meet with Chinese officials and high-ranking tourism specialists to promote bilateral collaboration in the tourism sector on the sidelines of the conference. China “is one of the most promising tourist markets for Egypt,” he said.

The number of Chinese tourists who have visited Egypt in the first five months of this year has nearly doubled from the comparable period last year. Over 150,000 Chinese tourists visited Egypt during the first five months of 2017, versus 18,000 Chinese tourists during the first five months of 2016. Consequently, China is the fourth largest source of tourist inflows to Egypt, according to MENA news agency.