The Ministry of Tourism and the Tourism Promotion Authority decided to extend the activities of the "Egypt in our hearts" initiative to 30 June, according to a Tourism Ministry statement Wednesday. The initiative was scheduled to conclude on 30 April, and its extension comes as part of the ministry's efforts to stimulate domestic tourism and the preservation of diverse tourism. The initiative was developed by the ministry, in cooperation with Misr Travel Company, Egypt Air, Karnak travel agency, the Petroleum Services Company, the Chamber of Hotels, and the Egyptian Travel Agents Association (ETAA). The initiative aims to develop a spirit of belonging and loyalty towards universities, schools, and among youth in general. The initiative also aims at teaching youth the history of the Egyptian civilisation, to create a pride in the history and culture of the ancestors, and work on reviving the economy for tourism purposes, according to the statement. The initiative focuses on Luxor, Aswan and floating boats, to work in parallel with other initiatives on promoting tourism influx. "The initiative includes organising one-day trips (weekend trips) and long trips to archaeological areas in Luxor and Aswan, which are open for all Egyptians at affordable prices," the statement read. Taba and Nuweiba were included in this initiative, as part of multiple programmes and financial costs, to increase occupancy in those areas and promote tourism, in hope of an economic boom. The first phase of the initiative took place in the period from mid-December 2014 until 30 April, and the second has been extended until 30 June, according to Ahmed Hamdy, Vice-President of the Tourism Promotion Authority.
