The number of tourist arrivals from around the world reached 654,900 during March, compared to 440,700 during March 2016, an increase of 48,6%, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS). CAPMAS said that Western Europe sent the largest number of tourists to Egypt, accounting for 31.9%, and that Germany held the largest share in European tourism with 43.9%. CAPMAS added that the Middle East came in second place with 24.6% with Saudi Arabia being the largest sender of tourists, with 37.6%. The Middle East was followed by Eastern Europe with 21.6%, where Ukraine sent the most tourists, with 56.3%. Tourist arrivals from the rest of the world, including the Americas, Africa, East Asia, the Pacific countries, South Asia, and other countries accounted for 21.9%. CAPMAS noted that Arab countries sent 197,900 tourists to Egypt in March, compared to 151,200 in March 2016, an increase of 30.9%. The number of tourists departing from Egypt amounted to 598,200 tourists during March, compared to 404,300 tourists during March 2016, an increase of 48%. Furthermore, the number of nights spent by the departing tourists in Egypt numbered 5.4 million during March, compared to 2.5 million nights during March 2016, an increase of 119.1%. Western Europe accounted for the largest share in the number of nights. The Middle East followed with 25.3%, while Eastern Europe accounted for 17.8% of the total nights spent in Egypt. The same countries that topped the lists of tourist arrivals from the respective regions also topped the list of nights spent. CAPMAS stated that Arab tourists spent 1.7m nights in Egypt in March, compared to 983,600 in March 2015, an increase of 73.3%. The average number of nights spent in Egypt by tourists was 9.1 in March, compared to 6.1 nights in the same month in 2016.
