"This tragedy will not discourage tourists from coming to Red Sea resorts, Hurghada in particular. The crash was caused by a technical error. The situation is safe and secure," Maj. Gen. Ahmed Abdullah said.
The city of Hurghada, along with a number of western Red Sea coastal towns and cities, is a popular tourist destination. Egypt's tourism industry accounts for 11 percent of its economy.
Cairo was expected to launch a large-scale public relations campaign on Sunday to attract more tourists, Egyptian Tourism Minister Hishan Zazou told RIA Novosti earlier this week.
The Airbus A321 was said to have broken apart in mid-air, but officials and investigators say it is premature to speculate over what caused the accident.
An inter-departmental team headed by Russian Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov is conducting works on the ground in the central Sinai Peninsula. Russian investigators are joined by French, German and Irish teams, as well as a team from the Airbus company.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi said the investigation may take months to conclude.
