Mahfouz Ali, first deputy tourism minister, said Tourism Minister Hesham Zazou will ask Germany and France to lift travel bans both countries have imposed on nationals visiting the Red Sea and Sharm el-Sheikh.
Zazou plans to use video footage, some of which tourists themselves have filmed, to show how stable security conditions are at both destinations. The minister will visit Europe on Monday, Ali said.
Ali added the fact that the Netherlands and Belgium have lifted the travel ban to tourist destinations in Egypt is the result of communications with the West and "shuttle visits" conducted by Zazou himself.
He added that the ministry has prepared a plan to hold tourist festivals in cities like Sharm al-Sheikh and Hurghada to revive Egypt's flailing tourism industry.
The ministry will invite prominent journalists specialised in tourism and politics to deliver a proper image of the situation at popular tourist destinations.
The idea of inviting security experts to Egypt has had a considerable impact in improving the image of Egyptian tourist destinations, said Ali, adding that Egypt will likely invite other European experts from France and Germany to lift the ban.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
