Ashraf AboArafe
Salih Mutlu Şen, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Cairo, met yesterday with a distinguished group of Egyptian tourism leaders and business figures to discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in the tourism sector and expand partnerships between the private sectors of both countries, in a manner that supports economic relations and advances mutual interests.
The meeting featured in-depth discussions on boosting two-way tourism flows, strengthening cooperation between tourism companies in Egypt and Turkey, exploring joint investment opportunities, exchanging expertise, and reinforcing direct communication channels between Egyptian and Turkish private-sector stakeholders. These efforts underscore tourism’s role as a key driver of economic growth.
During the meeting, Ambassador Salih Mutlu Şen emphasized that tourism represents a cornerstone for strengthening economic cooperation between Cairo and Ankara. He stressed the importance of translating the forward-looking commitment of both governments in trade and economic cooperation into practical collaboration and tangible partnerships, particularly in tourism and tourism-related investment.
The Turkish ambassador highlighted that Egypt and Turkey possess outstanding tourism assets and a rich diversity of tourism products, creating strong potential for complementarity and cooperation rather than competition. He noted that joint tourism promotion, the organization of reciprocal travel programs, knowledge exchange, and the facilitation of tourist mobility—including clearer visa procedures and effective coordination between the embassy and travel agencies—would yield concrete economic benefits for both sides.
Ambassador Şen also affirmed that the Turkish Embassy in Cairo places special emphasis on supporting direct engagement between business leaders and tourism companies in both countries, while working to overcome any challenges that may hinder cooperation. He added that the coming period is expected to witness increased momentum in deepening tourism collaboration, in line with the positive trajectory of Egyptian–Turkish relations.
He concluded by underscoring that tourism can serve as a successful model for economic partnership between Egypt and Turkey, given the accumulated experience on both sides and the growing regional and international demand for diverse tourism destinations.
The meeting was attended by several prominent figures from Egypt’s tourism sector, including Reem Fawzy, Board Member of the Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation and Chairwoman of Remo Tours Holding and Pink Taxi; Atef Aglan, Member of Parliament and Chairman of Aglan Holding Group; Moataz Sedky, General Manager of Travco Holidays Tourism; Wael Fouda, Member of the Egyptian Tourism Chambers Federation and Board Member of Kemydar Tourism; Sayed Kamal Askar, Board Member of Lotus Tours; Nour El-Din Radi, Managing Director of Remo Tours Holding; and Melissa Tunger, Head of the Turkey Branch.
Alternative headline:
Tourism Beyond Borders: Egypt and Turkey Chart a Path of Partnership and Integration
