ABU DHABI, 9th April, 2025 (WAM) -- Yomna Elbahar, Vice Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt, emphasised that sustainability is a core pillar of the ministry's strategy to double the number of international tourist visiting Egypt without negatively impacting the country's natural resources or heritage sites.

Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the AIM Congress in Abu Dhabi, Elbahar stated that the ministry has implemented measures to protect the environment, including mandating "green" certification for hotels and diving centres in South Sinai and the Red Sea governorates, ensuring adherence to water, energy, and waste management standards. Over a third of Egypt's hotels have already obtained this certification.

Elbahar revealed plans, in collaboration with relevant ministries and entities, to create "central bank for tourism investment opportunities" as a digital platform showcasing available investment prospects in the sector. This initiative aims to enhance transparency and facilitate access to information for investors to identify potential projects in real-time.

She also highlighted the design and launch of an incentive programme with the finance ministry and the Central Bank of Egypt to accelerate the development of new hotel rooms in promising tourist destinations.

The ministry is currently undertaking two major projects to transform Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada into environmentally friendly tourist destinations. It has also adopted a public-private partnership policy to deliver world-class tourism services within archaeological sites and museums, enhancing their sustainability and service quality.

Elbahar noted cooperation with international organisations such as the UNDP, USAID, and UNESCO - Cairo office to implement projects for the protection of archaeological sites, capacity building in site management, and adopting renewable energy solutions in museums and tourism facilities.

She mentioned that some archaeological sites are equipped with climate change monitoring devices, and the Grand Egyptian Museum has received ISO quality and environmental management certifications.

Attracting foreign and domestic investments is a strategic focus to increase the sector's capacity and achieve sustainable tourism development goals. Every 15,000 new hotel rooms contribute approximately two billion Egyptian pounds in VAT and commercial profit taxes.