Egypt’s tourism industry grew 16.5% in 2018, says WTTC

Egypt’s tourism industry grew 16.5% in 2018, according to new data by the World Tourism & Travel Council. The industry now accounts for 11.9% of GDP and 9.5% of total employment or some 2.5 mn jobs. International visitors spent EGP 218.1 bn in Egypt last year, with Germans accounting for the single largest bloc of tourists. Job growth in the sector is expected to continue to grow to 3.2mn jobs, while the number of visitors is forecast to reach 11.7 mn.

The research got wide play in the domestic and industry press, with some noting that this increase came despite the UK and Russia dragging their feet on restoring flights to Sharm. Travel Weekly highlighted the role of an “improved security infrastructure,” which facilitated travel companies restoring operations to major tourist destinations.