Egyptian tourism minister welcomes World Travel Awards to Sharm el Sheikh

Egyptian tourism minister, his excellency Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, has welcomed the World Travel Awards to the country, telling an industry audience the event gives him “confidence in the future”.

“Confidence in Egypt is starting return; Egypt is very valuable to the international tourism industry,” the minister added ahead of the event this evening at SOHO Square in Sharm el Sheikh.

In an upbeat assessment of the Egyptian tourism industry, the minister argued the country was “on track” to recover from recent political upheaval.

While acknowledging visitor numbers had fallen by a quarter during 2011, Abdel Nour confirmed government officials expected levels to return to those seen in 2010 during the final three months of 2011.

The country was doing everything possible to ensure visitors returned, added the minister.

“We are doing everything in the book,” he explained, “we will not spare a minute, a penny, to get tourism back on track.

“Everything from advertising, subsidising operators, inviting people from overseas to come and see for themselves the possibilities, we are standing behind investors, everything in book.”