Attia claimed that Aswan is “one of the best governorates in the field of tourism, and the best winter resort in the world” The new app, he explained, allows tourists to access “all necessary information, such as tourist places, hotels, and hospitals” CAIRO: The Egyptian Governorate of Aswan in Upper Egypt has rolled out a new app to serve tourists. According to Aswan Gov. Major General Ashraf Attia, the application been well-received so far. “It has significantly contributed to facilitating (tourists’) trips, saving both time and effort,” he said in a video published by the Information and Decision Support Center of the Council of Ministers and on his official Facebook page. Attia claimed that Aswan is “one of the best governorates in the field of tourism, and the best winter resort in the world.” The new app, he explained, allows tourists to access “all necessary information, such as tourist places, hotels, and hospitals.” He continued: “The reaction we have received from tourists who have downloaded the application has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly during meetings with tourists in floating or fixed hotels, or during tours. The program has achieved great success.” Bassem Halaqa, the head of the Tourism Workers Syndicate, highlighted the assistance the application has provided to Russian tourists, who currently make up the majority of visitors to Egypt, saying it had “significantly eased navigation” around Aswan. “It underscores the importance of Russian tourists in supporting and revitalizing the tourism sector due to the close geographical proximity between Russia and Egypt, the availability of economical flights, and balanced prices for the services they receive,” he said. Halaqa noted that Russia is cold for most of the year, and Egypt serves as a “warm haven” for Russian tourists. “They particularly enjoy Aswan and the beaches of the Red Sea in Hurghada or Sharm El-Sheikh,” he said. “Some (like) to take day trips to visit the antiquities in Aswan and Luxor or travel to Cairo and Giza.” Halaqa said that proposals to allow closed residential buildings to be converted into hotels are currently under consideration at the Ministry of Tourism. The initiative will focus not only on luxury tourism, but on two- and three-star accommodation as well, he added.