HURGHADA: As part of the USAID project "While in Egypt Stay Connected and in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and the Egyptian Hotel Association, the Hotel Information Program's tour of seven Egyptian tourist areas comes to Hurghada. Hurghada's top three, four, and five-star hotel operators attended the Hurghada stop of the Hotel Information Program tour, the first educational seminar in Egypt on the importance of the Internet for the tourism sector. The Hotel Information Program is a touring educational seminar to inform hotel operators about the importance of the Internet in tourism today. "Developing the tourism sector through global standards is critical for Egypt, with one crucial step being the full recognition of the significance of Internet services across this vital sector, said Ismail Abaza, senior tourism advisor to the project. "The program intends to help tourists 'stay connected' while visiting Egypt: to stay in touch with family and friends back home, find online information for vacation planning, and much more. The hotel educational seminar arrived in Hurghada on May 7, having started in Sharm El Sheikh on April 16 followed by Luxor and Aswan from April 23 to April 26. After Hurghada, the seminar will travel to Nuweiba, then Alexandria, and concluding in Cairo in mid-May. As part of the seminar, the most prominent Internet-related companies will showcase cutting-edge programs and services for web design and connectivity/communications solutions, with special offers for the participating hotels. "By adopting the latest Internet technology, hotels can build an even stronger competitive edge for themselves and the Egyptian tourism sector overall, said Abaza. "The hotels are encouraged to not only get connected by installing high-speed Internet in hotel rooms and business centers, but also to get visible by creating a website, ideally with the capability for online reservation services. The program is funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and sponsored by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT).
