CAIRO: At a press conference held at the Nile Hilton hotel on Sunday, Minister of Tourism Zoheir Garana assessed Egypt s progress in the tourism industry in 2006-07. Accompanying Garana was Galal Dowedar, head of the Foreign Press Association (FPA) as well as Vice President Amir Fahim and Salal Atteya. Garana told The Daily Star Egypt, "In spite of the ongoing problems our country deals with, such as terrorism threats and road accidents, we look towards a brighter future as statistics show that tourism rates are better than they have been in years. The minister announced that tourism rates would be presented at the end of 2007. "We re concerned with quality that we want to continue training the workforce in Egypt, said Dowedar. Next month, the Ministry of Tourism will sponsor a program to train 100,000 workers from all sectors of the tourism industry, "with a special focus on hotel management, Dowedar added. Last March, the Ministry of Tourism signed an agreement with Cornell University to help Egypt specialize in tourism services. Foreign representatives from Cornell University will train workers in middle and high-end management through a four-month training course. Tourist package agreements were also signed with dignitaries from Ireland and Greece to increase the number of tourists traveling to Egypt from Dublin and Athens. "For years, we've been receiving certificates of excellent service coming from various tourist companies in Europe, said Garana. "But it's not just tourism rates that we're looking at. Garana claimed that road accidents have decreased by 50 percent in comparison to last year's statistics. "We're planning to add 'drive safe' billboards on all highways leaving Cairo, Atteya said, "This can invite more tourist drivers to explore Egypt's highway life, he added. Working in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Garana issued a protocol to Yousry El Gamal, minister of education, to spread awareness about tourism needs, most notably with problems of pollution. The project seeks to have an effect on children starting at the age of six, encouraging youth to respect natural reserves. Garana also boasted about the improvements the ministry's website (www.egypt.travel) has seen over the past six months. "E-business is on the rise, Egypt needs to be on the rise with it too, since many foreigners enjoy the convenience of reserving things online, he said. "We've also added 12 languages to our website as well as Google earth to help travelers plan their stay in Egypt. Google earth is a brilliant invention for this purpose, Atteya said. However, Egypt's tourism sector competes with its neighboring Gulf capitals, Dubai, Manama, and soon Doha and Kuwait City will be on the rise as well. "I am not concerned with neighboring countries because Egypt is filled with a lot of culture and history. The smallest amount of effort made on our part can make the biggest difference, said Fahim. "We need to open our air space to the rest of the world. More direct flights for Arab tourists flying from the Gulf are being negotiated with Egypt Air. "We need more planes, Garana said. The minister also expressed his need to cooperate with the minister of environment, Magid George. "I can t do it all at the same time. The Ministry of Environment is Egypt's national treasure that protects the Ministry of Tourism. Achieving more improvement in Egypt's tourism sector "is a collective process where everyone must take part, Garana added.
