Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou stressed on Wednesday that cooperation is going on with Germany to develop the tourism industry.

Egypt is abundant with splendid archaeological places but unfortunately some of them are not well prepared to receive tourists, the minister said during his participation in the third international conference for heritage preservation and management of archaeological sites.

The four-day conference, that kicked off on Tuesday, is organized by the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels.

He urged graduates of the faculty to put forth suggestions to develop these places and make them ready for receiving tourists.

The minister underlined the importance of improving the way Egypt is depicted abroad to encourage tourists visit the country especially after the sharp decline in the number of tourists coming to Egypt following the crash of the Russian plane in central Sinai on October 31.

German Ambassador in Cairo said his country is among the biggest countries exporting tourists to Egypt which is full of priceless monuments.

Tourism is among the key factors linking Egypt with Germany, he added.