Egypt's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Visits TÜROB...

Egypt's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Mr. Sherif Fathy, visited TÜROB accompanied by a delegation comprising Egypt's Ambassador Amr Soliman El-Hamami, Egyptian Tourism Authority CEO and Air Cairo Director Amr Elkady, and senior Ministry officials, and met with President Müberra Eresin.

Egypt, which is attracting growing interest from both Turkish holidaymakers and hotel investors, aims to expand its tourism relations with Türkiye. Visiting Türkiye Otelciler Birliği (TÜROB) as part of his contacts in Türkiye, Egypt's Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy called for increased cooperation to develop tourism relations between the two countries. Meeting with TÜROB Board Members and chain hotel representatives, Fathy shared information on incentives for tourism investment in Egypt and on areas where the two countries could cooperate.

Minister Fathy stated that Egypt is continuing to grow steadily in tourism, that the country welcomed 15.7 million tourists from all over the world in 2024, of whom 230,000 came from Türkiye, that the number of Turkish tourists visiting Egypt increased by 70 percent last year, and that they expect the Turkish market to grow by 30 percent this year. Minister Fathy added that, in addition to financial incentives, legal measures had been implemented to facilitate investment opportunities, that significant incentives were also offered for Turkish investors in Egypt, that investment from Türkiye in the accommodation sector had increased in recent years, and that they would cooperate with TÜROB particularly on new hotel investments in both countries and on staff training in the accommodation sector.

Sharing brief information about TÜROB's activities, President Müberra Eresin expressed her pleasure at the visit by the Minister and his accompanying delegation and thanked them. President Eresin emphasized the importance of taking steps for governments to provide the necessary facilitation for Turkish and Egyptian citizens to be mutually employed in the tourism sector, of implementing student and intern exchange programs, of keeping communication channels open for investors, and of increasing promotional activities such as workshops, fam trips and fairs in order to accelerate the flow of tourists. She stated that, as TÜROB, they were ready to cooperate in initiatives to be launched under the coordination of the two countries' Tourism Ministries in order to monitor developments in the field of tourism between Türkiye and Egypt and to guide the work. Adding that developing tourism potential between the two countries depends on increasing the number of existing flights, President Eresin pointed to the importance of promoting joint tourism products to be prepared for the two countries, especially in distant destinations.

The meeting was also attended by TÜROB Vice Presidents Armin Zerunyan, Hediye Güral Gür and Taner Yallagöz, General Coordinator Kasım Zoto, Secretary General İsmail Taşdemir, Board Members Murat Tomruk, Ziya Cihan, Mustafa Topaloğlu and Ayhan Hacıbektaşoğlu, Press Advisor Belma Toprak, and Cemil Hakan Kılıç, General Manager of the Istanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau.