Dear readers, I promised you in my last article published on September to disclose the series of disastrous realities which is now going on inside the Egyptian Tourism Authority (ETA)... I assure that we are facing a genuine crisis of which the Tourism Ministry is fully unaware .While Tourism Ministry finally admitted in all local as well as international media that Egyptian Tourism sector has been severely affected by sweeping global economic crisis to the extent that tourist growth rate declined by 7.5 % and that 2010 would be the worst tourist year in Egypt , we find that the Ministry issued a decree on October 14, 2009 accepting a request by the head of Egyptian Tourism Authority (ETA) Amr El Ezaby to travel for a five- day trip in Kazakhstan to attend an opening ceremony of Egypt Air line in Kazakhstan on October 23. El Ezaby is going to be escorted during the trip by head of International Tourism sector Samy Mahmoud along with other two general directors in the same administration as well as a media delegation of 8 tourist reporters who all will be paid lawful travel allowances.
In fact ....the frequent travels by the head of International Tourism sector around the world which exceeded three times last month or even the partial dispatch of delegations under the guise of performing functional tasks is deemed against the right decree no. 1870 for 2009 by the Cabinet regarding rationalization of government spending in all ministries without exception. The decree also committed ministers, governors , heads of government and economic bodies, as well as heads of banks, public bodies , and public sector companies to cut the number of personnel accompanying them on their overseas trips abroad and that includes office managers and ministries spokespersons and private guards ..
Does the Cabinet decree apply to the Egyptian Tourism Authority for or does the Authority belong to a government in another planet? Should we close eyes, lend a deaf ear , and stop revealing facts?
Should we consider the complete absence of an official in the international tourism sector during the five- day trip is a good opportunity to relax and have fun in Kazakhstan and a reward from the head of ETA to the head of the international tourism sector after the latter agreed to spend (112 thousand euros) for promoting Egypt during the match between Egypt and Germany on 18 November?
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