During his visit to Berlin, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Mr. Sherif Fathy, held a series of professional meetings with senior representatives of leading travel agencies, tour operators, and international airlines, including TUI, DER Touristik Deutschland GmbH, Schauinsland Reisen, ITAKA, and Edelweiss. These meetings, part of Egypt’s participation at the ITB Berlin 2025 Tourism Fair, aimed to explore future collaboration opportunities to boost inbound tourism to Egypt.
Promoting Egypt’s Diverse Tourist Offerings
Minister Fathy discussed ways to enhance cooperation for attracting more tourists to Egypt and promoting the country’s unparalleled tourism diversity. Key topics included the growth of Egypt’s tourism infrastructure, such as road networks, new airports, and railway systems, as well as the development of major projects like the Ras Hekma development on the North Coast, which is expected to attract high-spending tourists and add a new, luxury tourism destination to Egypt.
Additionally, Minister Fathy mentioned the government’s continued efforts to encourage tourism investment, particularly in the hospitality sector, including a focus on expanding hotel room availability and offering investment incentives.
Highlighting the North Coast and Sustainable Tourism Initiatives
The Minister also emphasized Egypt’s commitment to sustainable tourism, discussing efforts to develop the North Coast as a premium destination. Agreements were made to organize familiarization trips for tour operator representatives to explore the region’s rich tourism offerings and investment potential. Moreover, joint promotional campaigns will be launched to raise awareness of Egypt’s North Coast and other tourist destinations through collaboration with the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority.
In line with Egypt’s green initiatives, the Minister highlighted the country’s ongoing focus on promoting environmentally friendly tourism, including energy-efficient hotel operations and the integration of renewable energy in the tourism sector.
Expanding Travel Links and Promoting New Attractions
The meetings also focused on expanding flight routes to Egypt, particularly for popular tourist destinations like Luxor, Aswan, and the North Coast. Egypt’s commitment to easing flight-related costs and introducing new incentives for airlines was discussed, including a special air traffic program to encourage summer flights to Egypt’s southern cities.
Minister Fathy also touched upon major upcoming attractions, including the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in July 2025, as well as the ongoing development of Egypt’s Sacred Path project, enhancing the country’s religious tourism potential.
Collaboration with Leading Tour Operators
The meetings revealed positive growth projections for Egypt’s tourism sector. The CEO of TUI Group shared optimism about Egypt’s increasing competitiveness in the global market, particularly in attracting tourists from Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. Meanwhile, the executive director of ITAKA forecasted a 50% growth in the number of Polish visitors to Egypt this year, with a strong interest in the North Coast and Marsa Matruh.
A key marketing initiative with ITAKA involves advertising Egypt on boarding passes for Polish travelers, with plans to extend this promotion through collaboration with the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority.
Strategic Partnerships with German Tour Operators
Both Der Touristik and Schauinsland Reisen praised Egypt’s diverse tourism offerings, particularly the country’s ability to attract repeat visitors due to its rich cultural, historical, and recreational attractions. These operators expect a significant increase in German tourists visiting Egypt in the near future.
Strengthening Egypt’s Global Tourism Position
The meetings reinforced Egypt’s strategic direction to maintain its position as a top global tourism destination. Minister Fathy’s discussions with international travel and tourism leaders further solidified the country’s commitment to creating a sustainable, competitive tourism sector that benefits from foreign investment and continues to attract global tourists to Egypt’s historical and emerging destinations.
The visit was attended by the Egyptian Ambassador to Germany, Mohamed Al-Badri, and other senior officials from the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority.
