The German Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Egypt) convened its Second Tourism Salon under the theme “Tourism and Technical Education: A Future Vision for Egyptian-German Cooperation,” bringing together senior leaders from the tourism and technical education sectors, hospitality representatives, educational institutions, and industry partners; this comes within the framework of the Chamber’s strategic role as an institutional platform that brings together policymakers and private sector representatives to align visions and formulate practical initiatives that contribute to advancing the tourism technical education system and strengthening the sector’s competitiveness at both the national and international levels.
The session was moderated by Dr. Ghada Shalaby, Former Deputy Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, who stressed the importance of systematically aligning technical education with labor market demands. She reviewed the Chamber’s dual education and vocational training programs and underscored the need to introduce rehabilitation initiatives for current airport and hospitality employees, particularly those in direct contact with tourists.
In her welcome address, Ms. Maren Diale-Schellschmidt, CEO of AHK Egypt, reaffirmed AHK Egypt’s commitment to advancing Egypt’s technical education system in line with German standards and strengthening public-private cooperation. Moreover, Ms. Mona Ayoub, Director of the AHK Egypt Competence Center Skills and Training, outlined the German certification framework, the importance of school suitability visits, and ongoing efforts to upgrade programs from C-Level to B-Level in accordance with international benchmarks.
Mr. Mohamed Ayoub, Chairman of the Board of the Egyptian Hotel Association, confirmed coordination with the Ministries of Education and Tourism to restructure the technical education system into a balanced annual model of six months of academic study and six months of practical training; he noted that approximately 32,000 students have already benefited from training programs. Contributions were also made by Mr. Adham Garranah, Board Member of the Egyptian Hotel Association, and Mr. Yasser El Tagoury, Chairman of the Chamber of Tourism Establishments & Restaurants, who emphasized the importance of closer integration between hospitality operators and educational institutions.
The Salon further highlighted experiences from leading educational institutions and industry partners, including Nahdet Misr Schools, El-Sweedy Schools, and Mountain View Schools, which presented international partnerships and both long- and short-term training models targeting students and the existing workforce. Discussions also addressed digital platforms connecting students with internship opportunities and expanded access to specialized hospitality courses, alongside strong support from hospitality leaders, including Hilton, for upgrading training standards and workforce capabilities.
The discussions concluded with a shared recognition that strengthening tourism technical education is a strategic pathway to enhancing Egypt’s global tourism competitiveness, and that Egyptian-German cooperation provides a practical framework for transferring expertise and implementing international best practices to build a qualified workforce capable of driving the sector’s future growth.
