TIME Magazine Names Cairo as One of ‘World’s Greatest Places of 2021’

Well-known American news website ‘TIME’ has included Cairo as part of its World’s Greatest Places of 2021 list.

The New York-based magazine noted that it compiled the 100-strong list as “as a tribute to the people and businesses at the forefront” of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries that were negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It shines a light on ingenuity, creativity, revitalization and reopenings in destinations across the world,” the magazine said on its website.

TIME commended Cairo for its “new vantages on unique treasures” and its ability to revitalize the tourism industry through a number of exciting projects, such as the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), which will become the largest archaeological museum in the world with more than 100,000 ancient artifacts.

In addition to the new museum, Cairo also includes other forthcoming projects such as the Ahl Misr Walkway, which is a pedestrian-friendly outdoor space along the Nile Corniche, and the Cairo Eye, promising to become the largest observation wheel in Africa by 2022.

As part of the government’s plan to renovate the area next to the Pyramids, the Crowne Plaza West Cairo–Arkan is set to open this year with 187 rooms, which will also be located next to a EGP 400 million renovation project that includes future entertainment services for shopping and several other cafes and restaurants.

To encourage tourism amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Egypt has taken a number of measures to ensure safety and efficiency. This includes an online e-visa portal for tourists, where they can receive their tourist visas to visit Egypt online, and a vaccination campaign that has successfully vaccinated all staff in key resorts and hotels in the Red Sea and South Sinai governorates.

In June 2020, Egypt joined a list of 100 countries around the world after it received the ‘Safe Travels’ stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council due to its effective adoption of a wide range of hygiene and safety measures.