CAIRO – 10 January 2019: “King Tutankhamun’s complete museum collection — among 100,000 artifacts in total and some of which have never been seen in public — are housed in the newly opened, $1 billion Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) that overlooks the pyramids of Giza, in greater Cairo,” writes Canada’s Vancouver Sun.
Ranked third on its list, Egypt is actually number one, according to the news site, for tourists who are interested in art, history and ancient life.
“If art, history and the grand scope of ancient life is your balm, this is your happy place,” the news site writes in reference to Egypt.
“Egypt has had its share of travel warnings in the past since the Arab Spring of 2011, but like any metropolis, it is safe as long as you are aware and avoid areas that are off limits, such as the Sinai Peninsula, and don’t wander off into the desert unaccompanied. The GEM is the largest museum in the world dedicated to one civilization. King Tutankhamun’s sandals, more than 3,500 years old, have been restored using special processed developed specifically for this task.”
Egypt’s strategy to attract more tourists
In an interview with Manus Cranny and Tracy Alloway on “Bloomberg Daybreak: Middle East” on November 8, Mashat revealed that Egypt has witnessed a “steep rebound” in the tourism industry, citing the significant increase in the influx of tourists.
Mashat spoke of tourism’s future, its prospects and the work that the government is doing to get the industry back on its feet. She also revealed, “At the end of this month in Parliament, I will be announcing E-Trip: Egypt Reform Program”
Shortly after, Mashat revealed the E-Trip at a Luncheon at the American Chamber of Commerce. The five-pillar strategy is designed to reform and regulate the industry, as well as to ensure its sustainability.
The five pillars start of at an area that has been criticized over and over again by Egyptians and experts, as well as the minister herself: Administrative and legislative reform.
The second pillar is one that has also been on the forefront of people’s minds over the past two years: Rebranding Egypt.
The third pillar is concerned with fining new markets and diversifying the base from which tourists come to visit Egypt, in addition to beefing up cooperations, focused on tourism, with countries that are considered well-established markets.
The fourth pillar concerns upgrading the hospitability infrastructure. To do so, the Tourism Ministry has decided to launch a private equity find. This fund will also be used to upgrade hotels and resorts that have gone out of style or need to be revamped; an issue that experts we spoke to also brought up.
The fifth, and final pillar, concerns an upgrade to the legislative framework that governs the industry as of right now. This is something that has been on Mashat’s mind for a while: During her first meeting with investors in the tourism sector, Rania El-Mashat, the new minister of tourism, has indicated that she is set on building a newer administrative framework for the sector to allow processes to go smoother and quicker. El-Mashat said that she intends to build a system that would move the sector forward, leading it to be a case study for the international community to take lessons from.
Thu, Jan. 10, 2019
