SESRIC organised a virtual Training Course on “Promoting Islamic and Rural Heritage Tourism through Innovative Marketing Techniques and Storytelling” on 4-5 August 2026 as part of its Project on “Strengthening Egypt’s Cultural Tourism Destination Brand through Sharing Experiences”. The project is co-funded under the 13^th Call for Project Proposals of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) Project Funding.

The training course brought together 27 staff from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and relevant national institutions in charge of tourism promotion in the Arab Republic of Egypt.

The aim of the training course was to enhance the capacity of local tourism stakeholders to promote Egypt’s rich Islamic heritage through storytelling and digital branding. By showcasing successful case studies from OIC Member Countries, the course will demonstrate how rural heritage destinations can attract visitors, generate income for local communities, and create engaging experiences without major infrastructure investments. The lessons learned would help support the development of sustainable and community-driven approaches for rural and Islamic heritage sites around Cairo, combining heritage preservation, environmental responsibility, and modern tourism promotion.

The two-day training covered the following topics:

• Introduction to Islamic and Rural Cultural Heritage Tourism.
• Innovative Marketing Techniques for Islamic and Rural Cultural Heritage Tourism
• The Heritage of Ramadan in Cairo as a Destination for Religious Tourism.
• From Heritage to Global Appeal: Malaysia’s Experience in Branding Muslim-Friendly Tourism through Digital Storytelling
• Senegal: The story of a unique spiritual harmony in the service of Religious Tourism
• Beyond Preservation: Storytelling, Digital Communication and Visitor Experience in Promoting Türkiye’s Islamic and Rural Heritage
• Cuisine as Culture: Preserving National Identity Through Uzbekistan’s Culinary Heritage
• IRCICA’s Digital Humanities Project for Cairo History and Heritage

As the second phase of the project, an on-site Workshop on “Community-Led Management of Islamic and Rural Heritage Tourism” is scheduled to take place on 12-14 October 2026 in Cairo, the Arab Republic of Egypt, including a high-level commemoration ceremony.

The COMCEC Coordination Office (CCO) introduced the COMCEC Project Funding (CPF) in 2013, a financing mechanism that supports projects submitted by OIC member countries and relevant OIC institutions. Funding is provided in the form of a grant through the Development and Investment Bank of the Republic of Türkiye, a primary body in the CPF scheme. Since the initiation of CPF, SESRIC has implemented 19 projects to date across various cooperation areas and sectoral themes determined by the CCO.

The materials of the training course are available here.

For more details about SESRIC projects funded by the COMCEC, please visit: https://www.sesric.org/tcd-activities-projects-funded.php.

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