An official visit to Egypt has concluded with a high-ranking delegation from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), providing the government firm support for restarting tourism and directing its benefits to help livelihoods and to protect cultural heritage.

When the United Nations issued its key policy brief on COVID-19 and Transforming Tourism, outlining the five goals for restoration in Egypt with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, UNWTO visited to Egypt to facilitate implementation of these key recommendations.

Led by Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General, the delegation met President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Dr. Khaled Al-Anani, Minister of Tourism and Antiquity, in order to learn of the measures taken in support of tourism, including by combining the Ministry of Antiquity and Tourism and by making available grant and incentives for the sector.

Pololikashvili also met with Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly to learn more of work being undertaken to boost consumer confidence and guarantee the safety of both tourism workers and tourists.

A number of Egypt's most famous tourist sites were complementary visits to the high-ranking talks, which included updates on large scale tourism ventures, including the new Great Egyptian Museum and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.

This allowed the UNWTO delegation to see first-hand the enhanced safety and hygiene protocols put in place in response as the sector adjusts a new reality within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.