Despite the number of tourists to Egypt dropping by roughly 40 percent in the first quarter of 2016 compared to the same period last year, newly appointed Minister of Tourism Yehia Rashed told Reuters that Egypt aims to attract as many as 12 million tourists by the end of 2017. A six-point plan will be implemented to reach this goal according to the minister, which will include increasing the presence of the national airline EgyptAir abroad, cooperating with low-cost airlines and improving services. When asked how the plan would be funded, he said, “We are not doing new things; what we are doing is stimulation programs. Taking from the current funding and putting it into where our bread and butter is. “We don’t have the figures of the total cost of this. We are currently working on the costing. “I am very hopeful, optimistic about the future of tourism into Egypt,” Rashed went on to say. “I want to get that smile that you are smiling into the faces of everybody. We want to stay positive.” In February, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism signed a cooperation protocol with the UN…
Egypt Aiming to Attract 12 Million Tourists by End of 2017: Tourism Minister
April 11, 2016
