Egypt draws 16.2 mn tourists, targets 20 mn by year-end

Egypt attracted roughly 16.2 mn tourists as of the end of last month, and aims to raise this figure to 20 mn by the end of the year and 22 mn by the end of next year, Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy said in a phone-in interview with Amr Adib on El Hekaya (watch, runtime: 6:19). He did not disclose tourism revenues for the same period.

Egypt is “no longer a cheap destination,” Fathy said, noting that tourist spending is already rising. His ministry is working on two parallel tracks to increase both tourist numbers and spending, he said, adding that Egypt “has not yet reached the stage of being content with tourist numbers and shifting toward maximizing tourism revenues.”

Strong potential: Fathy also believes that the country possesses the tourism assets that qualify it to welcome 60-70 mn tourists annually. However, he points to the need to expand hotel room capacity and the sector's broader infrastructure, including airport passenger capacity, to keep pace with these numbers.

Ambitious targets: The government aims to attract around 30 mn tourists annually by 2030, achieve 300 mn tourist nights per year, and generate revenues of USD 36-40 bn annually, according to a previous statement by Fathy. To achieve these targets, the government plans to add around 240k-250k rooms to the current hotel capacity.

Tourism remains a vital source of foreign currency for Egypt, with sector revenues reaching USD 18.4 bn in FY 2025/26 — a 10.3% increase year-on-year, according to data released by the Central Bank of Egypt last month.