Egypt wins Africa’s best tourism destination award - Egypt won the 'Best tourism destination in Africa' award during the Oscar Festival for International Tourism in the Indian Ocean and African States, held in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh this week.

The Giza pyramids also won another award for Egypt in the category of 'Best tourist attraction in Africa', at the festival which was attended by nearly 200 international journalists and media outlets.

Hesham Zaazoua, first assistant to Egypt's minister of tourism, said he considered the awards as very significant to the country, as the government works to put the country back on the international tourism map after the January 25 revolution.

Zaazoua said the awards showed that Egypt would always remain a viable and attractive tourist destination.

On his part, South Sinai governor Khaled Fouda said the award bestowed upon Sharm el-Sheikh’s hotels and tourist villages is as a result of the great effort made by tourism industry personnel in Egypt.

Fouda said the governorate still has many projects in the pipeline to enhance tourism in South Sinai, which holds a good share of the total foreign currency income earned by Egypt via its vital tourism sector.

Tourism in Egypt has been hard hit by the political and security turmoil that struck the country following the January 25 revolution.

Pana 19/09/2011