CAIRO - The Hurghada's first International Festival for Tourism and Cultural Exchange will be held from June 26 to July 1 in the Red Sea city of Hurghada, organisers said. Participating countries include Turkey, Greece, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Yemen, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Palestine and Kuwait. The festival organised by the Egyptian Ministries of Culture and Tourism, Red Sea Governorate, Tourism Activation Authority, aims at exchanging cultures and activating tourism in Egypt. "We want by this festival to make something useful for the Egyptian tourism industry and to give a message to the world that Egypt is still safe. The festival is based on the idea that culture and tourism go hand in hand as they complement each other," Hossam Abdullah, the president of the festival, said in a press conference held in Cairo Saturday night. The participating countries will perform popular arts, music performances and hold a book fair and exhibitions.