1st ETA office in Abu Dhabi
The Egyptian Tourism Authority (ETA) has announced the official launch of its new office in Abu Dhabi, which commenced operations at the beginning of July 2015.
The office was inaugurated during a celebration event attended by HE Ehab Hamouda, Egyptian Ambassador to the UAE, Sami Mahmoud, Chairman, ETA, and Ahmed Ali, Head, ETA’s Abu Dhabi office, joined by a number of prominent public figures, diplomatic representatives and media.
Mahmoud said, “The opening of our new Abu Dhabi office is an important milestone for ETA, which reflects the strong ties we have with our neighbors in the Arab world. The UAE has always been a strong supporter of Egypt and is one of the country’s key tourism markets. The launch is a key element of the strategic plan developed by the Ministry of Tourism and ETA to attract 20 million visitors to Egypt by 2020 and drive tourism revenues to reach $26 billion.”
During the first half of 2015, visitor numbers to Egypt increased by 20 per cent. Visitors primarily travelled from Arab countries, particularly within the Gulf region. During the coming months, the Ministry is set to focus on Nile tourism and also promote cultural tourism by providing programs which combine both beach and cultural destinations.
Ali said, “We are striving to explore new horizons in our tourism partnerships with Arab nations, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Lebanon in particular.”
ETA’s new Abu Dhabi Office is in the process of collaborating with all airlines that cater to the Egyptian market, by launching direct flights to Sharm El Sheikh, the Red Sea and the North Coast in Egypt.