Egypt and Bosnia and Herzegovina signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday to deepen cooperation in tourism, aiming to increase visitor flows, promote joint marketing, and expand investment in the sector. Egypt's Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy and Bosnian Deputy Prime Minister Stasa Kosarac, who also serves as minister of foreign trade and economic relations, signed the agreement in Sarajevo. Both hailed the pact as a springboard for broader collaboration between the two nations. Minister Fathy said Egypt sees tourism as a vital part of its national economy and "soft power" diplomacy, and is keen to strengthen ties with Bosnia across both public and private sectors. He proposed familiarisation trips for tour operators, joint tourism caravans, and investment workshops to promote mutual offerings. He also outlined Egypt's global promotional campaign, "Unmatched Diversity" and said the country is using advanced tools, including artificial intelligence, to target international markets. The minister highlighted the sector's "positive momentum" in 2024 and continued growth in the first quarter of 2025. Kosarac praised the "friendship" between the two countries and said Bosnia would participate in Expo 2027 in Belgrade, viewing it as an opportunity to promote both nations' tourism. The ministers also discussed cooperation in tourism training, with Egypt offering to share its expertise in hospitality education and workforce development. Egypt's ambassador to Bosnia, Walid Haggag said the MoU would give "strong momentum" to bilateral ties, which are already expanding in trade, culture, defense, and diplomacy. Fathy invited Kosarac to visit Egypt, an offer the Bosnian official accepted. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: Y.Yasser
