Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli gave directives to tourism officials to speed up sending the Tourism Development Authority (TDA) plan to the Supreme Council for Planning and Urban Development (SCPUD) during its upcoming meeting. The decision was taken in line with Egypt's keenness to achieve Sustainable Development Strategy: 2030 Vision. The remarks came during a meeting held to review the TDA's plan, which was chaired by Madbouly in the presence of Minister of Tourism Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities Assem El Gazzar, and Head of the authority Serag El Din Saad. The plan is meant to boost Egypt's economic and social resources, Al-Mashat said, adding it also aims to maximize the role of Egypt's private sector in the development process, confining the state's role in planning for developing desert regions, besides encouraging investment in tourism, Al-Mashat highlighted. Since 2018, Egypt has pushed with improving a once ailing tourism sector due to political turmoil, implementing its Egypt — Tourism Reform Programme, which focuses on developing the tourism sector's infrastructure and increasing the efficiency of workers in the field through technical and professional training. The reform programme reflected positively on dollar revenues from tourism in the country's balance of payments, Al-Mashat has said in previous press statements, as the country reported a 28 percent rise in revenues from tourism, recording $12.6 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2018/2019.
