Luxor named World Tourism Capital of 2016; hosts UNWTO meetings

The southern Egyptian city of Luxor, known for its ancient temples and tombs, is expected to host the 5th Global Summit on City Tourism on November 1-3 and to celebrate choosing the city the World Tourism Capital of 2016.

The summit, which runs for three days, would witness the launch of an international initiative to support terrorism as main pillar for the world economy.

Also, the Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) would hold its 104th meeting on Sunday. 

In May, the city was unanimously chosen by the UNWTO to be the world tourism capital for 2016 to prove Egypt’s determination to succeed in spite of the tough challenges. 

The city gears up to receive guests from all over the world who would be received by the senior officials from the tourism ministry, civil aviation and media authorities.

Egypt chaired the 103rd session held in Malaga, Spain on May 9 – 11, 2016 under the title “Tourism and Security: Towards a Framework for Safe, Secure and Seamless Travel”.

Luxor, which is often called the world’s greatest open-air museum, is matchless tourism distention for its scale and grandeur of the monuments that have survived from ancient Thebes.

The breathtakingly beautiful city stretches on the banks of the Nile River flowing between the modern city and west-bank necropolis and backed by the enigmatic Theban escarpment. 

Scattered across the landscape, the city embraces the temples of Karnak and Luxor in the east to the many tombs and temples on the west bank. It also includes the Valley of the Kings, Luxor Muesum and Temple, Valley of the Queens and Amun Temple.

Source: MENA