Tourism industry 'vital' to achieve societal development: Min.

TOKYO - 23 September 2017: Egyptian Deputy Tourism Minister Adela Ragab on Friday said the tourism sector plays a vital role, not only in creating jobs, but also in achieving societal development through community integration in tourism-related activities, contributing to the empowerment of women, and securing foreign exchange.

Delivering Egypt's speech to a ministerial roundtable of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Tokyo, Ragab added that the Tourism Ministry works within the framework of the state's Sustainable Development Plan (Vision 2020-2030 for Sustainable Development), of which tourism is one of the most important economic axes.

The Tourism Ministry, in cooperation with all bodies concerned, made great efforts to achieve the goals of sustainable development, the deputy minister said.

She added the election of Egypt's Moushira Khattab for the UNESCO director-general post will create harmony among different cultures and help in preserving heritage.