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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 July 1999 Issue No. 438 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 July 1999 Issue No. 438
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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 Time Out Chronicles People Cartoons Letters Cooperation, not rivalry
By Rehab SaadCooperation and promoting the protection of Mediterranean's environment, history and culture were among the key aims of a recent journalists' conference. Egypt hosted the 10th congress of the Organisation Mediterranean des journalistes et Ecrivains de Tourisme (OMJET) from 26 June to 6 July.
About 140 journalists from most Mediterranean countries participated in the event. They visited not only Cairo but also Alexandria and a range of Upper Egypt sites including Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan and Abu Simbel.
"We wanted them to get acquainted with our tourist product," said Salah Attia, secretary-general of OMJET. "This is not the first time for Egypt to host this congress. We hosted it in 1990 and 1993 and this gave Mediterranean journalists the chance to know what Egypt can offer. When they go back to their countries they write about their experience, about what they saw and did. In 1990 I compiled about 193 articles that were written about Egypt after the first congress."
The OMJET was born in Tunisia in 1989. The first meeting was held in Cairo in 1990 and it was subsequently held annually in a different Mediterranean country. Turkey, Greece, Malta, Tunisia, Spain and Syria have hosted the event.
OMJET's aim is to promote tourism within the Mediterranean and to improve cooperation between the countries in the region.
One of its major aims is to support the protection of the area's environment and heritage.
Journalists mixing business with pleasure at the Pyramids Plateau
"Media men have a big role in calling for an integrated tourist product in the region," said Tijani Haddad, head of OMJET. "I also believe that one of the major challenges that we face is the problem of the environment and how to reconcile between it and tourism development. If pollution rates increase in the Mediterranean, tourism will be lost."
OMJET members believe that cooperation between Mediterranean countries in all areas of tourism is a must. To achieve this, they believe there needs to be a continuing emphasis on exchanging tourism experiences. "Training is also one of the fields that Mediterranean countries can cooperate in," Attia said. "Sound training will guarantee better tourist services and this will lure travellers to come to our region."
The protection of the region's environment, heritage and traditions figured in the main recommendations of the congress. "These are the main features and attractions of our region and thus they should be protected," Attia said. "We also recommended the necessity of the protection of antiquities in all Mediterranean countries."
Attia said that Lebanon, Greece and Croatia were among the candidates to host the next OMJET meeting.
