The opening of the Great Egyptian Museum “is eagerly awaited by the whole world,” said the country’s tourism minister
The year 2022 for tourism in Egypt “will be exceptional and outstanding”, said the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Anani, reports Daily News Egypt.
According to him, this will be facilitated by a series of cultural and tourist events planned for 2022. Yes, the country will soon celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb. It is also the 200th anniversary of the decipherment of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and the birth of Egyptology as a field of scientific interest, the official noted.
He announced plans for tourism for 2022 during a lecture on excavations and discoveries, antiquities restoration projects and museum openings. The minister listed achievements in the preservation of cultural heritage, as well as recent archaeological discoveries, which the state is working to complete.
According to him, the most important archaeological achievements included the discovery of a tomb, an oasis in Saqqara, 150 sarcophagi of Saqqara and other important finds in Minya, Luxor, Cairo, Giza and other locations.
What will surprise tourists in 2022
Khaled El-Anani also spoke about the recent openings of new museums and antiquities projects, including the opening of a restoration project for the Step Pyramid of Djoser and the Southern Cemetery at Saqqara, two UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
According to him, the opening of a large number of museums will also help tourism:
- National Museum of Egyptian Civilization;
- Museum of Sharm el-Sheikh;
- Museum of Royal Vehicles in Bulak;
- other museums in Kafr El Sheikh, Hurghada, Tanta;
- two museums of Cairo International Airport.
The minister believes that the opening of the Great Egyptian Museum “is eagerly awaited by the whole world.” It is expected to become the largest museum in the world dedicated to one civilization – Ancient Egypt.
During the pandemic, economic growth was observed – IMF
The draft budget of Egypt for the fiscal year 2022/23 is aimed at achieving economic growth at the level of 5.7%, it is noted in Reuters.
“Egypt is largely dependent on tourism. The country has managed to maintain overall economic growth despite global travel restrictions and the COVID-19 lockdown. Economic growth is expected to reach 5.6% in the fiscal year ending in June 2022,” the publication said, citing a statement from the country’s Ministry of Finance.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Egypt was one of the few markets to show growth in 2020 as a result of government incentives and support for sectors most affected by the pandemic.
