Egypt launches environmental festival to promote ecotourism

Egypt launched on Thursday an environmental and cultural festival in the country's renowned Wadi Degla natural protectorate in Cairo to promote ecotourism.

The three-day festival, titled Nature and Local Cultures Festival, is organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Environment in cooperation with local communities representing the population of various Egyptian natural reserves.

"The festival aims to promote various arts, cultures, environmental products, handicrafts and heritage of local people living in natural conserves, in addition to promoting ecotourism in Egypt," director of environmental development at the ministry, Samah Saleh, told Xinhua.