The UNWTO Course in Egypt on Crisis Management in Tourism, organized by the World Tourism Organization, its UNWTO.Themis Foundation and the Ministry of Tourism of Egypt, was closed on 29 September by the Minister of Tourism, H.E. Mr.Mohamed Yehia Rashed and Mr. Amr Abdel-Ghaffar, UNWTO Regional Director for the Middle East.

Over forty highly qualified officials from the Egyptian Tourism Authority,  the Egyptian Tourism Federation, the Egyptian Ministries of Health, Civil Aviation, Defense, Interior, and Tourism, could benefit from this course, delivered by Prof. Germán Porras, as a follow-up of the mission carried out in Egypt in 2015.

This course aimed at providing participants with knowledge, skills, and a forum for discussion and reflection on the various crisis management tools so that they could plan and implement crisis management plans that mitigate the impact of crisis situations and accelerate recovery. Therefore, topics presented were, among others: Prevention and Preparedness, Institutional and Social Awareness, How to deal with a Tourism Crisis, the Tourism Crisis Management Plan, etc.

The methodology used for such capacity initiatives adopt a fact-driven approach, by presenting state-of-the-art theory through the analysis of real-life case examples and in-class activities, tailored on participants’ knowledge and objectives. The modular structure is conducive of a highly interactive learning experience that blends presentations, case studies, discussions, debates and practical activities.