Tourism Minister Yehia Rashed said his ministry will tak advantage of Pope Francis’s video, during which he highlighted Egypt’s role and stances, in addition to his photos with Egyptian children and al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb, in order to promote tourism in Egypt through social media.
During an interview aired on DMC TV channel, Rashed said more than 120 Arab and international satellite TV channels were covering the the Pope's visit as well as his meeting with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
“We should thank the political leadership for its role in making the Pope’s visit to Egypt success,” Rashed added.
The 80-year-old pontiff landed in Cairo on Friday before meeting President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and then Al-Azhar's Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb, one of the Muslim world's leading authorities.
Pope Francis urged tolerance and denounced "demagogic" populism and violence committed in God's name on Friday, as he visited Egypt to promote dialogue with Muslims and support its embattled Christian minority.
His visit came as Egypt's Coptic Christians reel from a series of terrorist suicide bombings in December and April that killed dozens of worshippers.
Francis visited the Cairo church bombed in December alongside Coptic Pope Tawadros II to pray for the 28 people killed in a Christmas season blast last year and lay flowers in their memory. Copts represent about 10 percent of Egypt's 92 million population.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
