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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 16 - 22 November 2000 Issue No.508 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 16 - 22 November 2000 Issue No.508
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters The third way
A HYDROFOIL operating between Aswan and Abu Simbel, the first of its kind in Egypt, is expected to solve the problem of congestion at the airports of Aswan and Abu Simbel. Blue Stars, the company that owns the vessel, is confident that the vessel will facilitate the movement of tourists. "The influx of travellers to Abu Simbel and the difficulty in transporting them to the temples by traditional means of transportation has encouraged us to offer travellers an opportunity to have a wonderful trip on Lake Nasser and see all the monuments that lie between Aswan and Abu Simbel," said Essam Mursi Ezzeddin, general manager of Blue Stars. The journey will take about four hours and travellers are even provided two free meals with a return trip.Not just Pharaonic
AFTER a year of preparations, the Islamic and Coptic museums of Cairo's Pharaonic Village were officially opened last week, by Minister of Tourism Mamdouh El-Beltagui and Abdel-Salam Ragab, board chairman of the popular tourist site. The Islamic museum covers the history of Islam from the pre-Islamic period (Jahiliya) to the present and includes the achievements of the Arabs in science, medicine, mathematics, astronomy and other specialisations. It also provides visitors with information on traditional Islamic art crafts.The Coptic museum covers one of the most important periods in Egyptian history, between the first and seventh centuries. It reviews the beginning of Christianity in Egypt and provides profiles of important Coptic characters and their role in Egyptian history. There is a display of the journey of the Holy Family in Egypt, as well as an introduction to monasticism and its founder Saint Antony. Earlier museums in the village include those dedicated to Tutankhamun, Pharaonic boats, mummification, medicine, arts, the pyramids builders and the Ptolemic history.
Egypt online
THE EGYPTIAN Ministry of Tourism and the Egyptian Tourist Authority (ETA) decided to renew their agreement with Tour Egypt, the popular official Web site covering tourism, ancient history, Egyptian monuments, activities for children, Egyptian cooking, wildlife in Egypt and much more. Run by a private company, Tour Egypt operates under an agreement with the government tourism organisations. Tour Egypt officials say the Web site was named one of the top 10 tourism Web sites worldwide by the World Tourism Organisation (WTO). "It delivers about two million page views to over a half million potential Egyptian tourists per month," said Juergen Stryjak, representative of the company in Egypt. Many Egypt-oriented Web sites provide links to Tour Egypt, and travellers interested in visiting Egypt can peruse the online magazine, as well as a monthly e-mail newsletter. Visit it yourself at www.touregypt.com.Delta steps in
A MAJOR American airline, Delta Airlines, will inaugurate its first trip to Egypt in May 2001. Tourism officials have welcomed the new addition, saying it will open up previously inaccessible routes for the American market. "It will increase our share of tourists from that important market because Delta Airlines operates the most important domestic network in the United States," said Minister of Tourism Mamdouh El-Beltagui. According to feasibility studies, the company expects to transport about 16,600 travellers a year to and from Egypt.Go for green
FOR ECO-SENSITIVE tourists, a stay at any of the Sheraton's hotels in Egypt will be a guilt-free repose. The hotel chain received six environmental awards during the Green Hotels ceremony recently held in Cairo in recognition of their efforts to apply environmentally-conscious management standards to their hotels in the region. An assessment committee evaluated the practices followed in various hotels throughout Egypt, such as economising water use, energy conservation, environment preservation, hygiene and recycling. The ceremony was held under the auspices of Minister of Tourism Mamdouh El-Beltagui, Minister of State for Environmental Affairs Nadia Makram Ebeid, the TCL group and National Hotel Supplies.
Compiled by Rehab Saad
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