Cairo: Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy recently met with senior Italian tour operators and airline executives to discuss strategies for boosting tourist numbers from Italy, as announced by the Ministry. During his visits to Rome and Milan, Fathy explored opportunities for joint marketing campaigns, familiarization trips for Italian operators, media representatives, and influencers. The meetings also focused on expanding flight incentive programs targeting popular Egyptian destinations such as Marsa Matrouh, El Alamein, Luxor, and Aswan.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the discussions aimed at fostering direct engagement with tourism partners to support the growth of inbound tourism. Fathy emphasized the importance of mitigating regional disruptions and maintaining air connectivity through updated incentive schemes and promotional campaigns like 'Egypt Vibes.' He also underscored Egypt's diversified tourism strategy, encapsulated by the slogan 'Egypt. Unlimited Diversity,' which promotes integrated travel packages combining cultural, coastal, and Nile tourism.

Italian industry representatives expressed optimism about the continued strong demand for Egyptian destinations, particularly for cultural and family tourism. Despite challenges such as higher aviation fuel costs and regional tensions, they noted that bookings are improving and commended Egypt's competitive tourism offerings.