The Minister of Tourism, Rania Al-Mashat, said that the Arab market is one of the most important exporting tourism markets to Egypt, which represents 30% of incoming tourism, noting that Saudi Arabia comes at the head of those markets.
“According to the report of the World Tourism and Travel Council, tourism in Egypt witnessed a boom in 2018, becoming the fastest growing country in North Africa with a growth rate of 16.5%, well above the world average of 3.9%,” Al-Mashat added.
The minister’s remarks came during her meeting with Ahmad Al-Khateeb, the chairperson of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) during the 45th meeting of the World Tourism Organization’s Commission for the Middle East, which was hosted by Egypt.
During the meeting, they discussed aspects of cooperation and enhancing tourism between the two countries.
For her part, Al-Mashat assured the deep ties between Egypt and Saudi Arabia in all fields, noting that the ministry developed the concept of sustainable tourism as a key element in the structural reform programme for the development of the sector, referring to the Green Star programme, which issues sustainability certificates for hotels that comply with environmental and social management standards and requirements.
Finally, she stressed the possibility of transferring Egyptian expertise in this field to Saudi Arabia.
In that context, the chairperson of the SCTH stated that his country has begun to promote various tourism products such as cultural tourism and adventure tourism.
He also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s desire to benefit from the Egyptian expertise in these fields.
Finally, Al-Khateeb expressed his happiness due to his presence in Egypt, noting that Saudi people are always keen to visit Egypt and enjoy its unique touristic attractions.
