Sinai to host international conference on religious tourism

CAIRO – 20 May 2017: South Sinai will be hosting an international conference on religious tourism in Saint Catherine, in September, South Sinai's Governor Khaled Fouda stated Saturday.

Foreign public figures and a number of Coptic icons and Al-Azhar scholars will be invited to attend the conference, Fouda said, adding that the governorate is already preparing for the conference.

The event “aims at showcasing the governorate’s potentials in terms of religious tourism,” the governor explained.

Fouda further stressed that Sharm el-Sheikh has become an attractive venue for tourism and international conferences.

Sharm el-Sheikh is hosting the World Taekwondo Championship in August, an international youth conference in October and an international conference on telecommunications by the beginning of 2018, Fouda said.

“Tourism gets sick, but does not die,” Fouda added, referring to several reform works taking place in the German and Italian markets to revive tourism to Egypt.

South Sinai governor further pointed to the opening of Albatross Aqua Park, a new entertainment project that costs one million EGP ($55,400.28), as a new challenge to recover the Egyptian tourism.

Fouda anticipated a surge in inbound tourism to Sharm el-Sheikh during Eid al-Fitr holidays, including both Arab and domestic tourism. He stated that hotel reservations are still unsatisfactory, hoping for an improvement in the winter season.

A report published by research firm Colliers International noted that Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt’s second largest market in the tourism industry, “continues to face a challenging environment with revenue and profits at record lows.” The report anticipates that the rates of Egyptian tourism will improve this year after the devaluation of the currency.