Egyptian Minister of Tourism Zoheir Garranah announced recently the Ministry's latest venture in its attempt to raise quality values in the tourism sector on all fronts and to specifically create opportunities for the benefit of Egypt's hospitality industry professionals.

The signing of a Letter of Agreement by Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Federation, Ahmed ELNahas, and Thomas Kline, Director of Executive Education of Cornell University School of Hotel Administration took place, witnessed by the Minister Garranah.

“This is a very proud moment for Egypt and for this great nation’s booming tourism industry; the engine of economic growth and prosperity,” said H.E. Zoheir Garranah.

“Our agreement with Cornell is at the heart of our mission to invest in quality human resource development in the tourism industry. It constitutes an essential step in the human resource pyramid we are building; from base to pinnacle.

"Cornell is known as The Hotel School to professionals in the hospitality industry worldwide and has been associated with educating the leaders of the world's largest and most forceful industry for the past 85 years.

The Ministry of Tourism has dedicated 40% of the participant’s costs for the in-country programs for Egyptian nationals, and to negotiate student loans for expanding the participation base for those who wish to enroll in Cornell's online learning courses. A total of five comprehensive programs will be offered by Cornell; with an introductory Senior Executives Program planned for December 2007.

This exclusive program targets a top quality group of forty General Managers of full-service 3 to 5-star hotels and focuses on strategic hospitality management and high performance financial management.

The inaugural program and all subsequent in-country programs offered by Cornell will take place in the in Red Sea Resort of El Gouna.