Egyptian Tourism Minister Shreef Fathy recently visited Tokyo, Japan, to participate in the Tourism Expo Japan 2026. During his visit, he met with several tour operators and representatives from Japanese tourism companies. The meetings were attended by Egyptian Ambassador to Japan, Raji El-Atrabi. The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation to promote Egypt as a tourist destination and exploring ways to increase incoming tourism from Japan.
The meetings covered various topics, including the development of new tourism programs that cater to Japanese tourists' interests and preferences. The Egyptian Tourism Minister emphasized the diversity of Egypt's tourism products and experiences, which offer a unique blend of cultural, beach, and desert tourism. He also highlighted the importance of increasing direct flights between Egypt and Japan to meet the growing demand from the Japanese market.
Minister Fathy stressed that Egypt's tourism sector is working to update its promotional tools and leverage modern technology and artificial intelligence to effectively reach different segments of tourists. He also showcased Egypt's infrastructure development, particularly in the road network and transportation systems. The minister mentioned that cities like Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada have become year-round destinations for tourists.
The Japanese tour operators and tourism company representatives expressed their interest in Egypt's tourism products and experiences. They noted that the Egyptian destination remains a priority for the Japanese market, despite the impact of recent events in the Middle East on Japanese travel. The operators also showed interest in developing new programs that combine different tourism experiences and destinations in Egypt.
The Egyptian Tourism Minister and the Japanese tour operators discussed the potential for organizing familiarization trips for Japanese tour operators to experience Egypt's tourism products firsthand. They also explored the possibility of coordinating with the Egyptian Tourism Authority to promote Egypt in the Japanese market. The minister emphasized the importance of collaboration between the two countries to increase tourism exchange.
The meetings also touched on the upcoming total solar eclipse phenomenon, which is expected to occur in Egypt next year. The minister mentioned that Egypt is working to capitalize on this event to attract more tourists. He noted that the phenomenon can be observed from several Egyptian destinations, including Siwa, and that the government is planning to develop special tourism programs around this event.
The Japanese tour operators praised the recent archaeological exhibition, "Ramses and the Pharaohs' Gold," which was held in Tokyo in 2025. They noted that the exhibition had a positive impact on promoting Egypt as a tourist destination and increasing interest in visiting the country. The minister and the tour operators agreed to continue collaboration to promote Egypt's tourism sector and increase incoming tourism from Japan.
Key points
- Egyptian Tourism Minister Shreef Fathy met with Japanese tour operators to discuss ways to increase incoming tourism from Japan.
- The meetings covered topics such as developing new tourism programs and increasing direct flights between Egypt and Japan.
- The Japanese tour operators expressed interest in Egypt's tourism products and experiences, and the two sides agreed to collaborate to promote Egypt's tourism sector.
