Zambia and Egypt Deepen Cooperation on Tourism and Heritage
Zambia and Egypt have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in tourism and cultural heritage following high-level engagements held in Cairo on 5 November 2025.
Minister of Tourism, Honourable Rodney M. Sikumba, MP, represented President Hakainde Hichilema at the invitation of His Excellency Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, during the historic official opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). The event marked a major milestone in global heritage preservation and attracted international dignitaries.
After the ceremony, Honourable Sikumba held bilateral talks with Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Honourable Ahmed Issa Fathy, at the museum. The discussions reinforced the longstanding friendship between the two nations and highlighted a shared vision to advance sustainable tourism, safeguard cultural assets, and improve technical cooperation.
Both Ministers agreed to formalise collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism and Antiquities. The MoU will provide a structured framework for joint initiatives focused on knowledge exchange, capacity building, and best practices in heritage management and sustainable tourism development.
Honourable Sikumba highlighted the importance of strengthening the UN Tourism Regional Commission for Africa (CAF), which Zambia currently chairs. He called for deeper coordination among African Member States to boost tourism growth and enhance the continent’s global visibility.
In response, Honourable Fathy praised Zambia’s leadership within CAF and reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to working closely with Zambia in driving Africa’s tourism and cultural heritage agenda.
The meeting concluded with Honourable Sikumba extending an invitation to his Egyptian counterpart to undertake an official visit to Zambia. The visit is expected to consolidate gains made during the talks and further broaden cooperation between the two nations.
