The Egyptian government has taken all the necessary measures to increase the security of Egyptian airports, said Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou.

The Egyptian authorities welcome requests of a number of aviation companies to further intensify security measures on their trips in line with the Egyptian law and the governing international laws, he added during his meeting with an Italian media delegation at Cairo Airport.

The Italian delegation was on a trip to Aswan as part of a tour organized by the Tourism Ministry and the Tourist Authority in cooperation with the Egyptian tourism bureau in Italy.

Zaazou, meanwhile, said that the understanding of the Egyptian authorities toward these requests sends a reassurance message to the foreign companies and the tourism sector.

He also underlined the importance of the Italian tourism for Egypt, adding that the Italian tourism market is considered the most important source of income for Sharm el Sheikh and the Red Sea.

Security bodies took several precautionary measures in a way which ensures the security of the tourist in the various resorts, he affirmed.

Battered by years of political turmoil, Egypt's tourism sector took another blow after the October 31 crash in the Sinai Peninsula, which killed all 224 people on board,

Tourism in Egypt accounts in total for about 13% of the economy, according to a report by the World Travel & Tourism Council. About 12% of jobs in the country are either directly or indirectly supported by the tourism industry, it estimated.

Sources: MENA