The campaign, which is titled ‘A Civilization Inspired by Nature’, highlights the ancient Egyptians' relationship with nature and their respect for the environment, a statement by the ministry quoted CEO of the General Egyptian Authority for Tourism Promotion Amr El-Qadi as saying.

It also draws attention to the efforts of the modern Egyptian state in preserving the environment and transitioning to sustainable green tourism, El-Qadi said.

The promotional campaign aims to promote sustainable tourism in Egypt in many of the key markets exporting tourism to Egypt, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, the United States of America, and Arab countries, El-Qadi said.

The first promotional video of the campaign, released in the English language on Thursday, starts with the voice of an ancient Egyptian saying: "I have not polluted the water, I have not desecrated the earth.” The video then goes on to point out how the ancient Egyptians came up with ways to preserve food and how they invested "in land reclamation by creating irrigation systems that built whole villages which are still alive and pressing us with their beauty." The video then moves on to give modern examples of Egypt's efforts to preserve the environment and  produce clean energy by showcasing different projects such as solar power plants, eco-friendly transportation, and waste and water recycling.

More films to promote tourism

This environmental promotional campaign is the beginning for releasing multiple short films promoting Egypt’s varied tourist destinations, said Susan Mostafa, the head of International Tourism promotional campaigns at the authority.

The campaign will also shed light on the environmental diversity in these destinations, focusing on the special characteristics that distinguish every region in Egypt and the ways that distinction has reflected on the richness of its cultural and environmental heritage, Mostafa added.

The launch of the campaign comes at a time when Egypt’s tourism sector has started to recover following the coronavirus pandemic.

According to official figures, the country's tourism sector was badly affected by Covid-19, with the number of tourists reportedly dropping to 3.7 million in 2020 from a 10-year-old high of 13 million in 2019.

The number of tourists to the country rose, however, to 8.2 million in the first 9 months of the fiscal year 2021/22, according to these figures.

The country's tourism sector has also started to recover from the initial impact of  the Russia-Ukraine war after Russia, the largest exporter of tourists to Egypt, resumed direct flights through its flagship carrier and largest airline, Aeroflot, from Moscow to Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh on 1 October 2022.