CAIRO: The second Ismailia Mango Festival began on Friday in the north-eastern Egyptian governorate.
The opening of the free festival attracted a significant number of visitors, including international tourists. It is taking place alongside the Export Forum — a paid event attended by sponsors, diplomatic and political delegations, merchants, companies, export councils, and exporters.
The festival was organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Ismailia Gov. Major General Sherif Fahmy Bishara attended the opening ceremony along with representatives from several foreign embassies in Cairo.
The Al-Bazzar area of the festival attracted many people eager to purchase some famed Ismaili mangoes. (Supplied)
Ahmed Youssef, assistant minister of tourism and antiquities for institutional communication and the official spokesperson for the ministry, was also present.
Amr El-Kady, CEO of the Egyptian General Authority for Tourism Promotion, told Arab News that the ministry’s involvement in the festival aligned with its media strategy, which aims to highlight the diversity of Egypt’s tourism products and showcase Egypt as a lively tourist destination.
He added that the festival was an opportunity to showcase the “unique tourism and agricultural offerings of Ismailia.”
Iman Abdel Rahman, director general of the General Department of Tourism Awareness at the authority, said that a tour had been organized for Egyptian social-media influencers in order to “maximize the event’s promotional impact.”
The influencers visited tourism and archaeological sites and mango farms around Ismailia and attended the festival.
She added that the opening ceremony featured performances from folklore artists and a tour of an exhibition showcasing mango products.
The Al-Bazzar area of the festival attracted many people eager to purchase some famed Ismaili mangoes.
One of the vendors, Mahmoud Mustafa, told Arab News: “There are stalls where mangoes are sold directly to the end consumers in open gardens at wholesale prices.
“Egyptian mangos are superior, unparalleled worldwide,” he continued. “Hence, tourists of various nationalities come to buy from us.”
Mostafa said Al-Owais mangoes, priced between 45 to 55 Egyptian pounds (less than two dollars), were the top sellers.
