Egypt’s tourism sector has received a boost as the North African country is hosting an international beauty contest.
Egypt hosts Miss Eco Universe 2016
The Miss Eco Universe now in its second year is supported by Egypt’s government and the United Nations.
The beauty contest aims at finding an emissary for environmental causes.
From the pyramids to the historic Alexandria, the ladies have toured the wonderful sites of Egypt.
“I am representing the United States here at Miss Eco Universe. My platform here at the pageant is on eco-friendly travel as well as renewable energy resources. I’m very excited to be back in Cairo again, I started my journey here in Egypt, in Cairo, and I’m glad to be back beside the beautiful Pyramids,” said contestant Samantha Joy Hart of the United States.
The winner of Miss Eco 2016 will receive a 10,000 US dollar cash prize and an opportunity to travel the world and attend events and activities that promote eco-tourism.
The pageant began on March 28 and the final will be held on April 15.
Egypt’s tourism industry is a vital source of income for the country. However, since the 2011 uprising which toppled Hosni Mubarak’s government, the industry has been struggling to return to its hey days.
In October, a Russian metrojet flight was brought down in Egypt, killing all 224 people on board after a bomb shattered the plane.
Most of the passengers were Russian tourists flying home from the Sharm al-Sheikh resort city, a popular destination for tourists.
Since then, Egypt has poured out millions of dollars to revive the tourism sector as the Russian plane crash dealt a massive blow to the already ailing industry.
The country’s tourism minister anticipates tourism arrivals to hit 12 million by 2017.