CAIRO: Egypt hopes that an exhibition of ancient artifacts in Paris will drum up interest and boost the numbers of French tourists visiting the country.
Around 10,000 people a day are expected to visit “Ramses and Gold of the Pharaohs” at the Lafayette showroom to view its 181 artifacts from ancient Egypt.
Egypt’s Tourism Ministry said that it expected the number of French visiting Egypt to increase by up to 20 percent due to renewed interest in the ancient civilization.
Mohamed Othman, head of Egypt’s Cultural Tourism Marketing Committee, said the exhibition uses virtual reality to highlight destinations in Egypt, and is a golden opportunity to promote Egypt to Europeans. He said that more than 140,000 tickets were sold before the launch of the exhibition.
Ahmed Al-Sheikh, an official in a large tourism company, highlighted the significance of similar exhibitions abroad.
He said they help build cultural bridges between Egypt and host countries, particularly France, where people have a great appreciation for ancient Egyptian civilization.
Mohamed Taher, a writer specializing in Egyptian tourism, told Arab News that there was a significant turnout at the exhibition’s opening day.
The exhibition spent a year on display in the US before moving to France. It is open in Paris until Sept. 17.
