27 July 2015
As part of its MasrQariba Campaign

Abu Dhabi - The Egyptian Tourism Authority (ETA) has announced the official launch of its new office in Abu Dhabi, which commenced operations at the beginning of July 2015.

The opening marks the establishment of ETA's first office in the region, which was initially announced by Egyptian Tourism Minister, HE Khaled Ramy, during Dubai's Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in May 2015. The launch is in line with the Authority's strategy to promote tourism in Egypt across Arab markets, particularly within the Gulf region- a key element of theMasrQariba campaign.

The office was inaugurated during a celebration event attended by HE Ehab Hamouda, Egyptian Ambassador to the UAE, Mr. Sami Mahmoud, Chairman of ETA, and Mr. Ahmed Ali, Head of ETA's Abu Dhabi office, who werejoined by a number of prominentpublic figures, diplomatic representatives and members of the media.

Mr. Sami Mahmoud, Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Authority, said: "The opening of our new Abu Dhabi office is an important milestone for ETA, which reflects the strong ties we have with our neighbors in the Arab world. The UAE has always been a strong supporter of Egypt and is one of the country's key tourism markets. The launchis a key element ofthe strategic plan developed by the Ministry of Tourism and ETA to attract 20 million visitors to Egypt by 2020, and drive tourism revenues to reach USD 26 billion."

During the first half of 2015, visitor numbers to Egypt increased by 20%. Hotels in Sharm El Sheikh,Ein El Sokhna, RasSedr, and Hurghadaalso reported 100%occupancy levels during Eid Al Fitr. Visitors primarily travelled from Arab countries, particularly within the Gulf region.

During the coming months, the Ministry is set tofocus on Nile tourism and also promote cultural tourism by providing programs which combine both beach and cultural destinations.

Ahmed Ali, Head of the ETA office in Abu Dhabi, said: "We are striving toexplorenew horizons in our tourism partnerships with Arab nations,including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman and Lebanon in particular. I look forward to collaboratingwith a number of stakeholders including airlines and tour operators to offer competitive packages for Arab tourists and to develop programs which cater to all communities and nationalities within the UAE. We are also keen to continueour work with local media, which have played a major role in promoting what Egypt has to offeracross these key markets."

ETA's new Abu Dhabi Office is in the process of collaboratingwith all airlines that cater to the Egyptian market, by launching direct flights to SharmEl Sheikh, the Red Sea and the North Coastin Egypt. Among these is Egypt Air, which has recently announcednew flights from Dubai to Cairoto be launched at the beginning of September 2015, bringing the total number of flights from Dubai to Cairo to three flights daily.

He concluded: "As we prepare to launch the Ministry of Tourism and ETA's new 2015-2018 campaign, which will be implementedacross 27 sourcemarkets,attracting tourists from Arab markets, particularly in the Gulf region is a top priority. Egypt will continueto welcome visitors fromArab nations, with which the country has alwaysshared strong historical, geographical, social and cultural ties." 

-Ends-

© Press Release 2015