Egypt highlights tourism development to boost economic growth

Egypt is focusing greater attention on developing tourist and heritage sites to help achieve sustainable economic growth and improve quality of life for citizens, said Local Development Minister Hisham Amna in Zhengzhou, China, on Monday.

Amna made the remarks in a speech at the opening session of the International Mayors’ Forum on Tourism, which is being held until Wednesday.

He said Egypt’s government has been allocating resources to develop needed infrastructure in cities with these sites.

The state has taken broad steps and adopted important initiatives over the past decade “to boost the sustainability of our cities,” said Amna.

He said the government was committed to “maximizing the benefits of the natural and cultural heritage in all our tourist cities to achieve sustainable tourism goals related to enhancing economic viability and social justice at the local level.”

The minister also touched on the unprecedented challenges that “threaten our tourist and heritage cities, such as climate change and rapid urbanization.”

Amna said: “All of this has led to pressure on our cities, especially with the rapid growth of cities, lack of planning, congestion, pollution, inefficient infrastructure, and a lack of investments in sustainable urban development ... all of which represent great burdens on our cities.”

He said that developing a sustainable tourism industry requires striking a balance between environmental, economic, social and cultural needs and concerns.