{"id":662861,"date":"2025-03-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/egypt-is-looking-toward-education-to-help-achieve-its-ambitious-tourism-targets\/"},"modified":"2025-03-24T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T00:00:00","slug":"egypt-is-looking-toward-education-to-help-achieve-its-ambitious-tourism-targets","status":"publish","type":"blackboard","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/blackboards\/egypt-is-looking-toward-education-to-help-achieve-its-ambitious-tourism-targets\/","title":{"rendered":"Egypt is looking toward education to help achieve its ambitious tourism targets"},"content":{"rendered":"

If Egypt <\/strong>is to<\/strong> meet its tourism targets, the sector is going to need a bigger and better-trained<\/strong> workforce. <\/strong>Egypt has big tourism targets, aiming to increase tourist footfall from 15.7 mn last year<\/a> to 30 mn tourists a year by 2030<\/a> and boost hotel room capacity to 500k from 228k currently. But as the government and the hospitality industry are aware, more tourists means more and better-trained workers to man hotels, lead tour groups, and more.<\/p>\n

On top of this, the needed foreign investment for the sector will only come if a workforce <\/strong>development pathway is clear.<\/strong> \u201cTourism is inherently a people-centered business, making investment in human capital crucial for continued growth,\" the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development\u2019s Theresa Niederle and Klajd Hasimi told EnterpriseAM. \u201cThe strength of Egypt\u2019s workforce is a decisive factor for international investors to expand their footprint in the hospitality and tourism sector, and enhanced national training policies that reflect employers\u2019 perspectives are essential for this.\u201d<\/p>\n

The public sector has got the memo<\/strong>, with a senior official at the Tourism Ministry telling EnterpriseAM that many local universities are already proactively developing their curriculums to adjust to the changing market. Efforts are also being made to partner with foreign universities to improve their courses \u2014 and their recognition abroad. In addition, partnerships are being made between universities and hotel companies to strengthen the training and hands-on experiences offered to students. However, this isn't the case for all universities, with some courses not keeping up with the market, our source told us.<\/p>\n

Mansoura University\u2019s Tourism and Hotels Faculty is moving on three fronts to better <\/strong>connect its academic programs with the job market<\/strong>, faculty head Mohamed Abdel Latif told us. That includes curriculum updates, incorporating new research \u2014 especially in antiquities \u2014 and modernizing teaching approaches. A new tourism marketing department focused on tourism promotion has already seen strong student interest. Similar reforms are reportedly underway at universities in Fayoum, Helwan, and Minya, we were told.<\/p>\n

The university is reacting to the industry\u2019s call for more hands-on experience<\/strong>, by launching a practical training program that includes introducing students to tour guiding. Students are taken outside the classroom on visits to archaeological sites and the university has even made its own museum with 76 exact replicas for the students to hone their skills. Four international chefs have also been hired to help culinary students be prepared for the unenviable task of feeding masses of tourists on incredibly tight budgets \u2014 one of the most important and difficult tasks that in large part decides whether all-inclusive hotels can turn a profit. Abdel Latif pointed to 134 undergraduates who recently secured well-paying positions with US hospitality giant Hilton as proof that its efforts are paying off.<\/p>\n

In case you didn\u2019t know, Egyptian universities have been offering degrees in<\/strong> tourism-related subjects for decades<\/strong>, with the country already home to ten colleges at local universities that offer bachelor's degrees in tourism and 18 institutes specializing in the field. There are also plenty of schools up and down the country that offer pre-university certificates. <\/p>\n

The Tourism Ministry is also working on a digital platform to prepare workers for the <\/strong>industry<\/strong>, with the ministry planning to launch the training and qualification platform at some point this year. The platform will be a \u201cmajor gateway for training for employment and linking academic studies with employment, given the significant expansion of tourism and hotel activities and the significant development in needs,\" our source told us.<\/p>\n

Training and education need to keep up with trends in the industry \u2014 and this is where <\/strong>the private sector comes in.<\/strong> With a rising interest in wellness and eco-conscious tourism at the moment \u2014 and who knows what else in the years to come \u2014 \u201cit can be challenging to reflect such trends in education and training provision, especially when educators lack direct exposure to evolving industry practices,\u201d the EBRD\u2019s Niederle and Hasimi said. \u201cThis is why the engagement of the private sector in skills development is so important \u2014 companies are deeply familiar with their sector and can assess the potential and relevance of new ideas and trends most effectively.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite progress, language skills are still a major hurdle the industry needs to <\/strong>overcome. <\/strong>Players in the sector consistently complain about the weak language skills of graduates and the lack of potential employees that speak languages needed by the industry, Supreme Council of Universities\u2019 Tourism and Hotels Sector Committee head Ali Omar told EnterpriseAM. The gap stems partly from poor pre-university training, but also from the cost of university-level language instruction \u2014 which many institutions don\u2019t have the budget for, he added.<\/p>\n

This is especially true for languages other than English<\/strong>, with the government\u2019s ambitious plans since 2023 to bring French, Italian, and German to public school classrooms as second languages in a bid to align Egypt\u2019s education system with global trends not going according to plan, a government source told us. The nationwide teachers shortage<\/a> has partly derailed what was supposed to be a big leap forward in public school language education \u2014 bringing it closer to what private and international schools already offer.<\/p>\n

More languages are still on the table <\/strong>\u2014 just not soon. <\/strong>Plans to roll out Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and Russian \u2014 languages that many of Egypt\u2019s tourists speak \u2014 in public schools are still alive, according to our sources. But don\u2019t expect them in classrooms just yet; the rollout needs time to build up the required infrastructure and teaching capacity, we were told.<\/p>\n

Another issue facing the industry is that low wages are driving talent away.<\/strong> \u201cLow pay is pushing skilled grads to other sectors, even as hotels demand top-tier talent,\u201d said Omar. The World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance expressed a similar point of view, telling us that \u201cthe biggest challenge is a mix of perception, cost, and job stability\u2026we\u2019re working to change that by linking training to real career growth and industry connections.\u201d<\/p>\n

Low salaries are in turn lowering admission standards for tourism degrees<\/strong>, a tourism industry insider told EnterpriseAM. Low admission standards and not very well-funded courses at public tourism institutes are dragging down the quality of graduates entering the sector, the source said. Accepting university students with a 60% passing grade won\u2019t deliver high-quality talent, the source said, adding that major investment in training is needed to make up the gap.<\/p>\n

But supplying Egypt\u2019s tourism market may just be the start, with the government hoping to <\/strong>soon export our tourism workforce abroad. <\/strong>The government is hoping to get the private sector on board with setting up hospitality schools that will export its graduates abroad, a Tourism Ministry official told us.<\/p>\n

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