Egypt anticipates large wave of Italian tourists in 2018

CAIRO – 20 October 2017: Italian travel agencies revealed this week that trips to Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh, Luxor and Aswan are fully booked for October and November, according to Minister of Tourism Yahya Rashid.

In coordination with the initiative, several promotion campaigns were launched in Italy. An Italian touristic exhibition titled "TTG," was held in Rimini, Italy. The exhibition showed a 3D documentary movie representing the most prominent touristic sites in Egypt.

Another promotional campaign featured the well-known Italian footballer, Stephan al-Sha'arwy, to boost tourism in Egypt through banners around the Italian stadium. A promotional video also displayed on the stadium's four mega screens.

The previous steps, taken by Italian government in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism, are paving the way for Italian tourists to come back to Egypt.

The steps came in cooperation with the initiative launched by Pope Francis. The pope

blessed

earlier this month the process of initiating the Roman Catholic pilgrimage program to Egypt, which is set to launch next year.

“Egypt is a land where Saint Joseph, the Virgin Mary and the Baby Jesus, as well as many prophets lived; a land that has been blessed with the precious blood of martyrs spilt throughout the centuries,” Pope Francis said during his General Audience in St. Peter’s Square.

The Pope also recalled his Apostolic Journey to Egypt last April saying he has fond memories of the visit.

Pope Francis described Egypt as a land of cohabitation and hospitality. He added that it is a land that encountered histories and civilization; he also passed on his blessing on Egyptians and prayed for Egypt’s protection from all sorts of evil and terrorism.

Earlier this month, Rashid was meeting with tourism officials in Rome with the aim to promote the Holy Family’s Flight into Egypt as a significant pilgrimage destination.