Messi arrives in Egypt for anti-Hepatitis campaign

Lionel Messi of Barcelona attends a press conference within the Tour n'Cure medical tourism campaign, which promotes tourism and Hepatitis C treatment travel packages for tourists, at Mena House Hotel in Giza, Egypt on February 21, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

CAIRO - Argentine footballer Lionel Messi arrived in Cairo on Tuesday to promote a new treatment for Hepatitis C virus, according to a source at Cairo International Airport.

The visit was deemed as part of "Tour n' Cure" international tourism initiative launched under the slogan of "For a World Free of Virus C," it said.

The source also noted that Messi arrived at Cairo West International Airport, making him to stay near the Pyramids of Giza and close to the nearby Mena House Hotel where he will show up for a ceremony.

The soccer superstar, who plays for Spanish club FC Barcelona, or "Barca," was scheduled to arrive in Egypt last week but the trip was delayed after his team suffered an overnight massive 0-4 loss to Paris Saint-Germain.

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism pins hope on Messi's "historic visit" to be one of the steps towards enhancing the tourism sector in Egypt that has been suffering recession over the past few years due to political turmoil and relevant security issues.

"Such visits by international public figures, undoubtedly, pour in favor of Egypt and serve its tourism sector significantly," said the Egyptian ministry in a previous statement.