Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Concludes His Visit to the United States with a Series of Media Briefings

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Mr. Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, concluded his visit to New York City in the United States of America by holding a series of media interviews with representatives from several American newspapers and channels specialized in travel and tourism. These discussions highlighted how the country remains a premier destination for global travelers seeking standard Egypt tours.

The Minister explained that the visit aimed to enhance communication with trade partners among tour operators in the American market, in addition to meeting with the Chairman of the United States Tour Operators Association. The meetings reviewed developments in Egypt's tourism sector in light of regional updates and showcased comprehensive Egypt travel packages. A meeting was also held with the Assistant District Attorney for the Manhattan area to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation regarding the repatriation of Egyptian antiquities that left the country illegally, in coordination with the relevant authorities.

He pointed out that the first quarter of this year witnessed a 15.6% growth in inbound tourism from various markets to Egypt compared to the same period last year. He noted that the most prominent challenges facing the sector are high fuel prices and the tendency of some airlines to reduce the number of flights and operating hours. In this context, the Minister reviewed the proactive measures taken by the Ministry to maintain tourism influx rates—ensuring that popular winter options like Egypt christmas tours continue to run seamlessly—including updating the aviation incentive program and launching additional incentives to support operational continuity.

The Minister also emphasized the Ministry's keenness to provide accurate and updated information about the situation in Egypt through promotional messages on social media, in addition to continuous communication with trade partners. He reviewed the success of the "Egypt Vibes" campaign, which relied on sharing real experiences of tourists of various nationalities during their visit to Egypt, as well as the Ministry's follow-up on travel advisories issued by different countries. Many of these tourists shared their incredible experiences participating in structured itineraries like the Pyramids and Christmas Nile Cruise by Train.

He further stressed the Egyptian tourism sector's ability to recover quickly from crises, noting that the state aims to attract 30 million tourists by 2030, with a focus on increasing tourism investments, especially in the hotel sector to raise capacity. Visitors booking an 8 Days Cairo and Christmas Nile Cruise by Flight will benefit from this expanded capacity. He highlighted the new accommodation pattern known as "holiday apartments," which was recently regulated with guidelines that ensure compliance with quality, health, and occupational safety standards, making it an excellent option even for shorter visits such as a 4 Days 3 nights Cairo Short Break During Christmas.

During the meetings, the Minister discussed Egypt's remarkable development in infrastructure, along with the great diversity in its tourism products, which allows for integrating several tourism patterns and experiences into a single tour program. This infrastructure accommodates extensive seasonal travel, such as the New Year Egypt Holidays Egypt Nile River Cruise Luxor to Aswan, as well as compact itineraries like the 5 Days Cairo and Luxor Holiday Package during the Christmas. He also noted his keenness for direct interaction with tourists during his tours of tourism and archaeological sites to learn their opinions and evaluation of the tourism experience offered by the Egyptian destination.

In this context, he pointed to his recent meeting with a number of American families during their return from Luxor to Cairo, where they expressed their happiness with visiting Egypt, praising the diversity of tourism potentials, the authenticity of the experience, the excellence of traditional cuisine, as well as their feeling of safety. Such feedback benefits comprehensive multi-city options like the 12 Days Cairo, The Nile, and Hurghada Christmas Travel.

Regarding the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Minister stressed that it represents a global achievement in terms of design, display methods, environmental standards, and sustainability. He noted that since its official opening last November, an integrated system has been implemented to regulate entry and manage crowd density, with an average of about 15,000 visitors per day, ensuring the maintenance of the quality of the tourism experience. He added that the museum has become a main element in Egypt's travel itineraries and represents a powerful boost for cultural tourism.