Cairo-Islamic Tourism
The Cairo International Exhibition Centre in Nasr town hosted the fifth session of the MTF from 14th to 16th of September 2004. There was a strong presence of Arab countries with representations at a high level. The European presence was limited to Mediterranean countries, such as Spain, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Turkey. The Asian participation was limited to India, Thailand and a Chinese air company. Australia was also present. The exhibition was opened by the Prime Minister, Dr. Ahmad Nadhif and the Tourism Minister Ahmad El-Maghribi.
There were many press conferences, such as the ones by Mr. El-Maghribi and the Saudi board of tourism. There was also a symposium on the fiftieth anniversary of the formation of the International Union of Travel Writers, and there were other meetings.
The exhibition was well attended by specialised visitors, journalists and people concerned with tourism. The team of Islamic Tourism magazine visited all the stands.
We meet the Syrian Deputy Minister of Tourism, Mohanad Kalash, who emphasised the continual development and building of the infrastructure in the tourism sector in his country and its various activities, such as festivals and conferences.
Mr. Jamal Abdullah Abbas, head of a Hajj and Umrah travel agency on the Saudi stand, expressed the unique services they provide and the extensive use of the internet for booking hotels anywhere in Saudi Arabia.
Despite the relative satisfaction of the participants with the exhibition, they criticised the organiser, Reeds Company, for the weak attendance of European countries and the high prices imposed on participants. |