Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Issa has held several meetings with the officials and representatives of the major tour operators in the Russian market, such as Biblio Globus, Fun & Sun, Intourist, Anex Tour, Coral Travel, TEZ Tour, and Pegas, as well as the booking site Stelat.ru and the Red Wings airline, during his short visit to Moscow. Issa discussed with them the ways and mechanisms to attract more tourists from Russia to Egypt and presented the latest developments and indicators of the tourism industry in Egypt. He noted that the Russian market was one of the most important sources of tourism for Egypt and that the Ministry aimed to increase the tourist traffic from it in the coming period. Issa also highlighted the main tourism products that Egypt had a competitive advantage in, and that the Ministry was focusing on in light of the national strategy for tourism in Egypt. He particularly emphasized the opportunity for tour operators to create a new product that combines more than one experience, such as cultural, beach, desert, and adventure tourism, by investing in the tourism components that Egypt had and benefiting from the increased domestic flights in Egypt that facilitated the movement and connection of tourists between different cities and destinations. Issa also pointed out the great development of Egypt's infrastructure, which had a positive impact on its tourism sector, thanks to the new road and transportation network, airports and railways, and the operation of new airports, such as Sphinx Airport. He also mentioned the promising opportunity for a new regional tourism product that linked Egypt and Jordan, and that offered tourists and visitors a chance to visit tourist and archaeological destinations in Taba and Greater Cairo in Egypt and Petra and Aqaba in Jordan. Issa also reviewed the incentive packages offered by the Ministry to encourage professional partners, such as tour operators and airlines, to operate and increase flights to Egypt, which would contribute to increasing tourist traffic. These packages included an aviation incentive programme, joint marketing programs, and familiarization trips. The tour operators shared their plans for the winter season and their volume of tourist traffic from Russia to Egypt during the recent period. They expressed their appreciation for the efforts of the Ministry and its cooperation with them.
