MORE Chinese tourists are expected to visit Egypt in the coming years as ties between the two countries continue to grow stronger, says Shi Yuewen, the Chinese cultural counselor to Egypt. “Nearly half a million Chinese tourists visited Egypt in 2018 compared with only 300,000 in 2017, which is a big leap,” says Shi. And he expects the number of Chinese visitors to exceed 500,000 in 2019. Egypt’s continuing efforts to enhance stability and eliminate terrorism, especially at heritage sites, will encourage more Chinese to visit the country, says Shi. Egypt netted US$6.1 billion in tourism revenues in 2015, a drastic decline from US$12.5 billion in 2010, according to the official statistics agency. One of the world’s most ancient civilizations, Egypt has been working hard to uncover and preserve its archaeological heritage across the country while organizing conferences abroad to promote its ancient heritage. And it is also striving to revive its ailing tourism sector which has been suffering an acute recession over the past few years due to political turmoil and security issues. Ties between Egypt and China have been growing rapidly over the past few years with the support of the political leaderships from both sides, which led to the elevation of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in late 2014. (Xinhua) | 