CAIRO, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Tourism Minister Adviser for Training Soha Baghat discussed on Friday with a senior official of southwest China's Sichuan Province to boost bilateral cooperation in tourism, official MENA news agency reported.

Bahgat met with Gan Lin, a member of the Standing Committee of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, stressing the importance of the Chinese market.

Bahgat said that Chinese tourists increased in 2018, highlighting the cooperation with China in fields, including training and improving the efficiency of the human factor.

Gan said that China is looking forward to fostering tourism, academic, and cultural cooperation, citing the Chinese tourists' passion for the ancient Egyptian civilization.

He offered training programs for the Egyptian chefs for preparing the Chinese food.

Egypt is a favorable attraction to hundreds of thousands of Chinese tourists each year for its historical sites and sunny sandy beaches.