Cairo: Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy emphasized the pivotal role of tourism in fostering understanding among different peoples. He advocated for increased efforts to boost tourism integration among the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation countries by launching joint initiatives, easing tourist mobility, and investing in infrastructure with a focus on sustainable and smart tourism practices.

According to State Information Service Egypt, Minister Fathy delivered these remarks during a dinner banquet at the Grand Egyptian Museum. The event was held in honor of the tourism ministers and delegation heads attending the 4th D-8 Ministerial Meeting on Tourism Cooperation, set to commence in Cairo. This meeting aligns with Egypt's presidency of the organization from May 2024 to December 2025.

Minister Fathy highlighted tourism as a crucial driver for sustainable development and economic growth within the member states. He stressed the importance of exchanging expertise to explore new tourism patterns, drawing on the common heritage and cultural diversity of the D-8 countries.

The backdrop of this meeting is Egypt's hosting of the 11th D-8 summit in December 2024 in the New Administrative Capital, where President Abdel Fattah El Sisi initiated the summit's activities and took on the rotating presidency of the organization.

The Developing-8, comprising Egypt, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey, recently expanded to include Azerbaijan as the ninth member on December 19, 2024.