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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 March 1999 Issue No. 421 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 March 1999 Issue No. 421
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Egypt enchants Europe
By Rehab SaadIts name instantly conjures up images of history, art and lost civilisations. But Egypt is now looking for something new to show to the world. And from the results of recent important overseas events, it looks like Egypt has plenty up its sleeve.
Two delegations, led by Minister of Tourism Mamdouh El-Beltagui, took Italy and Germany by storm. News of Egypt's millennium plans and the showcasing of its natural wonders impressed thousands of people in both Milan and Berlin and gave that essential taste of what was to come in 2000 and beyond.
The importance of the Milan and Berlin events was plain to see. They attracted not only visitors from all over the world, but those people who are vital in expanding its tourist market -- the professional tourist decision-makers, entrepreneurs, travel agents and tour operators.
The love affair that has blossomed between Italy and Egypt, for example, looks set to grow stronger. Italy recently became Egypt's top tourist market and Italians are making their way across the Mediterranean in droves.
El-Beltagui held a series of meetings with Italian officials, travel agents, investors and journalists in Milan to explain Egypt's millennium celebrations, its blueprint to develop tourism, environmental schemes and the Egyptian-Italian tourism relationship.
Five major Italian TV channels are already concentrating on the Ministry of Tourism's plan for the route of the Holy Family, which is regarded as an important part of Egypt's millennium celebrations.
Italy's standing as Egypt's number one tourism customer made the strengthening of the ties one of the most important issues discussed. "We urged Italian investors to increase their investments in Egypt through contributing to Egyptian projects, even with a small percentage ranging between 10 and 15 per cent," El-Beltagui said. "By this we will guarantee more Italian tourists come to Egypt and also ensure that the facilities we provide suit Italian taste."
The profitable cooperation between Egypt and Italy looks certain to continue. Italy's Federation of Travel Agencies will hopefully follow in the footsteps of its French and German counterparts by holding its congress in Egypt. This will happen in 2000 but first some vital questions need to be answered. Of main concern to some Italian tour operators is the issue of costs. They complain about the high fees imposed on Mediterranean cruises when they arrive in Egyptian ports. They also say the costs for the millennium celebration's programme are, as yet, unknown and even the prices for the coming year have not been unveiled. Some suggested that Nile cruises should be developed in a way that would encourage to tourists stay for longer periods of time in the vicinity of ancient sites located along the river.
An Italian company, Planeta Terra, is carrying out an ambitious project in Sinai, near Sharm El-Sheikh. A giant oasis -- 10,000 square metres in size -- will be opened next month. The aim of this project is to promote the Red Sea's natural resources and to make visitors to the area more environmentally aware. "We encouraged this company to prepare a diver-friendly guide of the Red Sea's coral reefs, the different species of fish, and where they can be found," El-Beltagui said. Another project is the opening of an underwater museum.
Egyptian officials and businessmen used the Milan exchange to bring their Italian counterparts up to date on plans to develop the country's airports, especially in Sharm El-Sheikh, and they unveiled the new trends on the tourism landscape, including golf courses, Nile cruises, conference and incentive tourism.
The Berlin tourist exchange (ITB), held early this month, was a similar chance for Egypt to display its diversified tourist product. It was only recently that Germany was replaced by Italy as the most important player in the Egyptian tourism market.
"Germany is a pioneer country which participated in the ITB from its inception," El-Beltagui said. "The Egyptian pavilion this year showed off the wide range of our products. There were different booths promoting golf, hydro-plane flights (aircraft that land on water) and new tourist attractions in south Sinai or the Red Sea. They all attracted large numbers of people."
A celebration marked the strength of current German-Egyptian ties after the German Hyatt Regency hotel group signed a deal to open two new hotels in Egypt. The hotels, in Cairo and Taba, together boasting nearly 1,000 rooms, will be opened by 2001.
As the ITB is one of the world's most important tourist fairs, El-Beltagui used it to announce that Egypt will host its own tourist fair in early 2000. "It will concentrate on Mediterranean tourism and aims at attracting all the countries from this region," he said.
Also at the ITB, the tourist ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Palestine and Israel met to discuss their millennium programmes. At a press conference, the ministers were asked whether it ever might be possible to visit the four countries on a joint visa. El Beltagui replied: "Every kind of tourist cooperation is possible once a peace settlement is concluded." The Jordanian minister said that his country would look at the issue after the next Israeli elections.
