Egypt's Ambassador to Rome Amr Helmy said on Monday that the process of starting additional charter flights between several Italian cities and Sharm el-Sheikh has already begun. An Italian property developer with investments in Egyptian tourism launched an initiative in September to lure Italian tourists back to Sharm el-Sheikh, with a focus on wealthier clients from Italy who can inject more money into the Egyptian economy. Ernesto Preatoni, who owns Domina Coral Bay Resort in Sharm el-Sheikh, played a vital role in attracting 500,000 Italian tourists to the city before the January 25 revolution in 2011. He paid for eight flights from four different Italian cities, each carrying 180 persons, including tourists, investors, journalists, and politicians. On arrival in Sharm el-Sheikh, they enjoyed a one-week stay — again paid for by Preatoni — to show them how secure and beautiful the resort is.

Source: Egypt Independent October 24, 2016 13:18 UTC