Tourism and Shopping Festival lights up Egypt

The retail extravaganza will be held in malls and outlets across the 15 governorates of Cairo, Giza, Marsa Matrouh, Red Sea, Al Esmaeiliya, Port Said, Swees, Manufieyah, Al Gharbiya, Al Oqsur, Asuit, Al Miniya, Bani Sweef, and Al Faioum.

Information centres will be erected at Cairo, Alexandria, Hurghada, and Burj Al Arab airports to distribute festival literature to visitors.

Street decorations, concerts and competitions will also be held during the month-long festival.

A reception party for Tourism and Shopping Festival 2006 was recently held at Cairo's Marriott Al Zamalek, under the patronage of H.E. Zoheir Garannah, the Egyptian Minister of Tourism, and was attended by senior businessmen, government officers, tourism agents, and media.

"The participation of all these organisations in this important national campaign demonstrates the love Egyptians have for their country," said Ahmed El Khadem, chairman of the Egypt Tourist Authority. "This was apparent in the new ideas and technologies which will make this festival a giant tourism and business event."

He said the introduction of new technologies would help portray Egypt's retail scene in a contemporary light.

"Our shopping scene is vibrant and diverse," added El Khadem. "Most visitors associate our shopping scene with a walk down Khan El Khalili, but we want to tell them there are plenty of fashionable items on sale in modern malls away from the souks, all across the city."