Mohamed Elewa, the project manager for integrating biodiversity into ecotourism at the Ministry of Environment, reviewed on Saturday the national campaign to promote ecotourism in Egypt (ECO EGYPT), during one of the sessions of the regional workshop on ecotourism held in Jordan. This came within the framework of the visit of a high-level Egyptian delegation, led by Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment, to enhance Egyptian-Jordanian cooperation in the field of ecotourism and activate the executive program for cooperation between Egypt and Jordan in the area of environmental protection (2023 – 2025). Elewa spoke about the campaign's goal to connect adventurers and travel lovers with the distinctive ecological sites and protected areas that Egypt enjoys and to create a supportive environment for the private sector to participate in this field, through several tools. These tools include raising public awareness about the importance of natural resources and environmental services that can be provided to enhance their conservation, encouraging the preservation of the Egyptian natural and cultural heritage, involving the local communities of nature reserves in providing an eco-tourism product to achieve sustainability and encouraging eco-tourism practices in different regions. Elewa explained further that the campaign provides tourists with a unique experience that depends on presenting four areas of enjoyment, that are what they see during their trip in the protected and environmental areas, and what they can practice within them, and who they will meet from local communities and learn about their cultural and artistic heritage and their products, in addition to enjoying stays in eco-resorts and green hotels compatible with the environment. The director of the programme added that the Eco Egypt campaign includes the promotion of 13 protected areas that differ in their environmental nature and the experience provided in them. Since 2019, the campaign has achieved many achievements on the ground, including announcing more than 11 sub-campaigns, cooperating with more than 55 partners and alliances, implementing more than 35 workshops, in addition to many media and awareness products, participation in regional and global conferences, and the implementation of many virtual reality trips to the campaign areas.
