Israel, Egypt in Tourism Effort

Israel and Egypt have joined in a concerted effort to promote and develop of tourism between the two countries, Israel’s Minister of Tourism Avraham Sharir reported to the Cabinet Sunday. Sharir returned from an official visit to Cairo last Thursday. Last Wednesday night terrorists fatally shot an Israeli woman and wounded three other Israelis in a car ambush as they left the Cairo International Trade Fair. The victims were members of the Israel Embassy staff and had been staffing the Israel pavilion at the fair.

Sharir said President Hosni Mubarak and top ranking Egyptian Ministers expressed genuine shock over the attack and told him those responsible were not Egyptians and would be tracked down and punished. Mubarak also stressed Egypt’s desire to pursue the peace process and he has taken concrete steps in that direction, according to Sharir.

In the area of tourism, he said, the Israeli and Egyptian governments will establish a joint committee of travel agents to examine entry permits and fees relating to Israeli visits to Egypt. The purpose is to expedite procedures to increase tourist traffic. The committee will also draft proposals for the promotion of Egyptian tourism to Israel.

JOINT FUND TO PUBLICIZE TOURS

A joint fund will be created to publicize Egypt-Israel package tours in Europe and the U.S. by advertising and public relations in those countries. Mutual study tours by Israeli and Egyptian travel agents and media representatives will be undertaken to improve the atmosphere and stimulate tourism.

These steps were agreed to at meetings between the 15 Israeli travel agents who accompanied Sharir to Cairo and 40 Egyptian travel agents. Sharir reported in addition that Mubarak has abolished the special visas necessary for Egyptians to visit Israel. He has ordered an end to trade restrictions, thereby giving Israel equal status with European countries doing business with Egypt, Sharir told the Cabinet. He said chances were good to reach a $150 million trade agreement with Egypt.

The Tourism Minister said Egyptian officials expressed appreciation over the way the Israeli media treated recent unrest in Cairo.

Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir praised the Egyptian media for the sympathetic coverage it gave to the attack on the Israelis Wednesday night. Only one newspaper, AI Goumhuriya, struck an anti-Israel note when it maintained that Israeli diplomatic personnel in Egypt would be safe only when Israel changed its policies with respect to Lebanon and the administered territories.

Shamir, who has always taken a hard line toward Egypt, had rare praise for the way the Egyptians behaved after the attack. He disclosed that President Mubarak had personally ordered the Cairo hospital where the victims were taken immediately after the attack to give them priority treatment.