CAIRO: Egypt is hoping that Monday's China visit by President Mohamed Morsi will help boost tourism between the two countries. Egyptian Tourism Minister Mohamed Hisham Zaazou was quoted by the official MENA news agency as saying a number of meetings were scheduled during Morsi's travels to Beijing with the tourism sector to gauge new opportunities for tourism to come into Egypt from the East Asian country. Egypt has long pushed relations with China, especially the tourism sector. The ministry said that Chinese visitors to Egypt has reached some 20 percent annually compared with only a five percent increase in other tourists visiting Egypt. In 2010, Zaazou said some 110,000 Chinese arrived in the country, adding the country will “work to increase the numbers to 160,000 next year by activating the aviation agreement signed between the two countries.” Egypt is also looking at new proposals to expedite Chinese tourists to the country by granting entry visas upon arrival. According to MENA, Morsi's visit to China will also see “forums will be held between Egyptian businessmen and representatives of the biggest Chinese companies which are specialized in the fields of tourism, medicine, chemical and plastic products.”
