China ranks number eight with regard to the number of tourists visiting Egypt as 88,000 Chinese tourists visited Egypt in the first half of 2016, the Egyptian tourism adviser in China said.

In statements to MENA correspondent on Friday, Abul Maati Saleh Sharawi hailed a recent decision by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to reform the Supreme Council of Tourism as reflecting the Egyptian leadership's interest in boosting tourism.

He said the step would positively affect on tourism industry and investments in Egypt.

He noted that Egypt has taken a decision to allow Chinese tourists to get individual visas upon arrival at the airport, voicing hope that the Chinese government would cooperate in facilitating Chinese tourists' departure from China to Egypt.

The Egyptian Embassy in Beijing and the tourism office has asked the Chinese Foreign Ministry and public security authorities to activate the Egyptian decision.

Sharawi said direct EgyptAir flights from Guangzhou to Cairo will up to seven per week.

He said three direct flights from Beijing to Cairo will be operated by the end of 2016.
Sharawi voiced hope that the Civil Aviation Administration of China would approve increasing Beijing-Cairo flights from three to five per week in view of the increasing number of Chinese tourists who want to visit Egypt.

Egypt seeks to take the lion's share of Chinese tourism, he said.

He added that an international tourism promotion campaign was launched from July to November 2016.

He noted that there are intensive tourism promotion efforts in China to up the number of Chinese tourists to 200,000 by the end of 2016.

Source: MENA