Egypt's Tourism Authority plans to host about 500 representatives of world media to visit the New Suez Canal area, Authority Chairman Sami Mahmoud said.

Interviewed by the Egyptian television Thursday, Mahmoud added that his authority would start contacts with tourism companies to discuss tour programs for the area and other cities in the Suez Canal region with the aim boosting tourism inflow.

To this end, a three-year contract will be signed next week with an international public relations company that would be responsible for launching promotional campaigns in the world media and main points of attraction, according to the senior official.