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Egypt Promotes its Tourism through Digital Platforms

Egypt is developing its advertising methods and will be promoting its tourism through digital platforms. (AFP)
Egypt is developing its advertising methods and will be promoting its tourism through digital platforms. (AFP)
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Egypt Promotes its Tourism through Digital Platforms

Egypt is developing its advertising methods and will be promoting its tourism through digital platforms. (AFP)
Egypt is developing its advertising methods and will be promoting its tourism through digital platforms. (AFP)

Egypt is developing its advertising methods and will be promoting its tourism through digital platforms in order to keep up with the latest technological changes in the global tourism sector, announced the Tourism Ministry.

Minister of Tourism Rania al-Mashat highlighted the main elements for advertising the country’s tourism through “People2People”, promoting each tourist city individually and the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, GEM 2020.

Attending the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Beijing, China, Mashat met the Vice Chairman and President for Strategic Growth for Mastercard Inc, Mike Froman, and stressed the importance of statistics and analysis in tourism and their role in understanding tourist trends.

The Egyptian cabinet said on its Facebook page that Mashat and Forman discussed various aspects of cooperation between the Tourism Ministry and the company in data analysis, digital transformation and promoting Egyptian tourism.

The minister had met with MasterCard officials in Cairo in August to tackle the structural reform program for the development of the Egyptian tourism sector.

The program was developed in November 2018.

Mashat stressed that information on tourists helps governments and decision-makers identify new trends, contributing positively and effectively in the development of appropriate strategies to attract more inbound tourism.

Moreover, the government said positive global reports are praising the boom achieved by the tourism sector, where Egypt was the fourth country with the highest growth in global performance in the travel and tourism competitiveness index, according to the report of the World Economic Forum for Travel and Tourism 2019.

For his part, Froman said his company is looking forward to cooperating with the Ministry of Tourism in data analysis, digital transformation and promotion of Egyptian tourism through electronic platforms and applications.

He added that the company will provide information about tourists and their expectations during their visit to Egypt, which will help the Ministry develop appropriate promotional plans to attract more people from all over the world.

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US Solar Tariffs Could Drive Asia Transition Boom

Massive new tarrifs could hit solar panels made in Southeast Asia from June. (AFP)
Massive new tarrifs could hit solar panels made in Southeast Asia from June. (AFP)
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US Solar Tariffs Could Drive Asia Transition Boom

Massive new tarrifs could hit solar panels made in Southeast Asia from June. (AFP)
Massive new tarrifs could hit solar panels made in Southeast Asia from June. (AFP)

Massive planned US duties on solar panels made in Southeast Asia could be a chance for the region to ramp up its own long-stalled energy transition, experts say.
Earlier this month, Washington announced plans for hefty duties on solar panels made in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.
The levies follow an investigation, launched before US President Donald Trump took office, into "unfair practices" in the countries, particularly by Chinese-headquartered firms, AFP said.
If approved next month, they will pile upon tariffs already imposed by the Trump administration, including blanket 10-percent levies for most countries, and 145 percent on Chinese-made goods.
For the US market, the consequences are likely to be severe. China makes eight out of every 10 solar panels globally, and controls 80 percent of every stage of the manufacturing process.
The new tariffs "will practically make solar exports to US impossible commercially", said Putra Adhiguna, managing director at the Energy Shift Institute think tank.
Southeast Asia accounted for nearly 80 percent of US solar panel imports in 2024.
And while investment in solar production has ramped up in the United States in recent years, the market still relies heavily on imported components.
For Chinese manufacturers, already dealing with a saturated domestic market, the raft of tariffs is potentially very bad news.
Many shifted operations to Southeast Asia hoping to avoid punitive measures imposed by Washington and the European Union as they try to protect and nurture domestic solar industries.
The proposed new duties range from around 40 percent for some Malaysian exports to an eye-watering 3,521 percent for some Cambodia-based manufacturers.
- Tariffs 'accelerate' transition -
But there may be a silver lining for the region, explained Ben McCarron, managing director at Asia Research & Engagement.
"The tariffs and trade war are likely to accelerate the energy transition in Southeast Asia," he said.
China will "supercharge efforts" in regional markets and push for policy and implementation plans to "enable fast adoption of green energy across the region", driven by its exporters.
Analysts have long warned that countries in the region are moving too slowly to transition from planet-warming fossil fuels like coal.
"At the current pace, it (Southeast Asia) risks missing out on the opportunities provided by the declining costs of wind and solar, now cheaper than fossil fuels," said energy think tank Ember in a report last year.
For example, Malaysia relied on fossil fuels for over 80 percent of its electricity generation last year.
It aims to generate 24 percent from renewables by 2030, a target that has been criticized as out of step with global climate goals.
The tariff regime represents a double opportunity for the region, explained Muyi Yang, senior energy analyst at Ember.
So far, the local solar industry has been "largely opportunistic, focused on leveraging domestic resources or labor advantages for export gains", he told AFP.
Cut off from the US market, it could instead focus on local energy transitions, speeding green energy uptake locally and driving a new market that "could serve as a natural hedge against external volatility".
Still, replacing the US market will not be easy, given its size and the relatively nascent state of renewables in the region.
"Success hinges on turning this export-led momentum into a homegrown cleantech revolution," said Yang.
"Clearance prices" may be attractive to some, but countries in the region and beyond may also be cautious about a flood of solar, said Adhiguna.
Major markets like Indonesia and India already have measures in place intended to favor domestic solar production.
"Many will hesitate to import massively, prioritizing trade balance and aims to create local green jobs," he said.