As Egypt celebrates World Tourism Day and continues to strengthen its position as one of the region’s leading tourism destinations, Al Ahram Beverages Company (ABC) has launched “Her Mark in Hospitality”, a new training and employability track aimed at creating more career opportunities for women in Egypt’s hospitality sector.
The programme was launched in partnership with Gozour Foundation under the ABC Hospitality Academy initiative. The first phase will train 200 women across Greater Cairo and provide them with technical, professional and employability skills for careers in the HORECA industry.
Participants who successfully complete the programme will also receive accredited certification from the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels. The programme is designed to connect training with employment and support women in building sustainable careers in hospitality.
The launch comes as Egypt continues to expand its tourism industry. According to ABC Managing Director Nikolay Mladenov, Egypt received 6.1 million visitors in the first four months of 2026, after welcoming a record 19 million visitors in 2025. The country aims to attract 30 million tourists each year by 2030 and plans to increase its hotel capacity to 300,000 rooms.
“Growth at this scale will require not only investment in destinations and infrastructure, but also investment in world-class skilled labor,” Mladenov said.
He added that ABC Hospitality Academy and “Her Mark in Hospitality” would help strengthen the hospitality talent pipeline by linking training, accredited certification and employment opportunities.
Training Women for Hospitality Careers
The programme will focus on women aged 25 to 40 from Cairo, Giza and Qalyubia. Training will cover five hospitality disciplines: Food & Beverage Service, Professional Coffee Barista, Bakery Artisan, Pastry Chef and Garde Manger, also known as cold kitchen operations.
Participants will also receive food safety and hygiene training, career readiness and soft skills development. Job placement support will form an important part of the programme.
“Today, through ‘Her Mark in Hospitality’, we are building on that foundation by creating new opportunities for women while supporting the industry’s growing demand for qualified talent,” said Cherine Aidarous, Head of Corporate Affairs at ABC.
The initiative was formally launched through a cooperation protocol signed by Mladenov and Ali Mokhtar, CEO of Gozour Foundation. Cherine Aidarous and Passinte Mokhtar, Partnerships Manager at Gozour Foundation, witnessed the signing.
Gozour Foundation said the programme will target employment as well as training. The organisation is working with restaurants and hotels with the goal of securing jobs for at least 80% of the participating women.
“This partnership is about more than training, it’s about giving 200 women a real pathway into work they can build a future on,” said Ali Mokhtar.
Passinte Mokhtar said the programme will also provide career guidance, interview preparation and direct connections with employers.
Building on One Year of Hospitality Training
“Her Mark in Hospitality” marks the first anniversary of the ABC Hospitality Academy. The Academy was launched in partnership with Rhythm Hospitality Training Consultancy and is accredited by the UK Institute of Hospitality.
In its first year, the Academy trained and certified more than 5,000 HORECA professionals across more than 110 venues in seven governorates.
The new programme also builds on ABC and Gozour Foundation’s partnership, which began in 2024. Since then, their initiatives have supported more than 12,000 women artisans and female heads of households across Egypt through vocational skills development and livelihood programmes.
As the Academy enters its second year, ABC is expanding its focus from professional training to wider economic impact. By supporting women’s economic participation, improving workforce readiness and creating employment pathways, the company aims to help Egypt’s hospitality sector meet the demands of a growing tourism industry.
