Egypt said a promotional clip launched to attract tourists back to the country has garnered around 80 million views on Facebook alone, a statement by the tourism and antiquities ministry said on Monday.

The clip, launched in June under the title ‘A Tourist’s Journey in Egypt,’ has been widely shared on social media platforms as part of a campaign to raise awareness about the precautionary measures and health regulations put in place in preparation for the return of tourism, the statement said.

Tarek Hosny, the tourism and antiquities ministry’s advisor on strategy and marketing, said the clip also garnered around 77 million views on Google, 4 million on Twitter, 3.6 million on TikTok and nearly 1 million on Snapchat.

Online searches for Egypt as a tourist destination surged in July by around 60 percent in comparison to June, he said.

The campaign is also aimed at promoting the variety and quality of the country’s diverse tourist destinations, he said, adding that the implementation of the precautionary measures has succeeded in encouraging travellers to come to Egypt after the resumption of international flights last month.

The campaign was launched last month on major social media platforms in tourism-exporting countries including the Arabian Gulf countries, Germany, Poland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, as well as a number of Asian countries.

The film was also broadcast on various Arab and international TV channels, including CNN and the Discovery Channel.

Egypt resumed regular international flights on 1 July after over three months of closure in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Foreign tourists are currently allowed entry only into the three coastal Egyptian governorates with the lowest coronavirus infection rates in the country – South Sinai, Red Sea, and Matrouh.

Last week, Egypt said it will require some foreign travellers to provide a negative PCR test result on arrival starting from 15 August.

The requirement does not apply to foreign and Arab tourists arriving through direct and transit flights at the airports of South Sinai’s Sharm El-Sheikh and Taba, the Red Sea’s Hurghada, and Marsa Alam and in the governorate of Matrouh.

The country’s vital tourism sector is a main source of foreign currency.