Recognizing tourism as a key economic pillar, Egypt has been actively implementing its National Tourism Development Strategy to maximize the sector's potential. The state is enhancing global competitiveness, showcasing its unique heritage, and expanding promotional efforts to attract new markets. It also prioritizes investment by fostering private sector partnerships and offering incentives. These efforts have garnered international recognition, elevating Egypt's global tourism ranking and reinforcing its status as a premier destination. The Egyptian Cabinet's Media Center released a report highlighting Egypt as one of the world's most diverse tourist destinations as part of its ongoing tourism promotion strategy. The report detailed the performance indicators of the tourism sector both domestically and internationally. Domestically, tourism revenues more than doubled, reaching $15.3bn in 2024 compared to $7.2bn in 2014. Additionally, the number of inbound tourists surged by 59.6%, hitting 15.8 million in 2024, up from 9.9 million in 2014, with a target of attracting 30 million tourists by 2032. On the international front, the report highlighted that Egypt advanced 22 places in the Travel and Tourism Development Index, ranking 61st in 2024 compared to 83rd in 2015, according to the World Economic Forum. To support the National Tourism Strategy, the report emphasized investment incentives, including the launch of a new Central Bank initiative in October 2024 to support the tourism sector. This initiative, funded by the Ministry of Finance in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, has a budget of EGP 50bn. Additionally, efforts are underway to establish an investment opportunities bank, creating a unified investment map showcasing 156 tourism investment opportunities as of January 2025, aimed at promoting these prospects locally and internationally. A key development in cultural tourism is the launch of the Cairo City Break product, positioning Cairo as a standalone tourist destination offering diverse experiences, including Pharaonic, Coptic, and Islamic heritage. Egypt continues to host major global events, including the 12th World Urban Forum from 4 to 8 November 2024 and the African-Egyptian Tourism Forum and Exhibition, which debuted in May 2024. The state is also diversifying tourism markets. The Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority participated in 33 international tourism exhibitions in 2023/2024 and organized around 80 familiarization trips (Fam Trips) for tourism promotion, alongside targeted digital marketing campaigns. Several promotional campaigns have been launched, including the Living 365 campaign in 2024 targeting Arab and Gulf markets for holiday stays. Past campaigns such as 200 Years of Continuous Knowledge (2022), celebrating Egyptology, and Follow The Sun (2022), which reached 495.3 million users, have also contributed to tourism growth. In Nile tourism, plans are underway to expand floating hotel capacity to 25,000 rooms by 2030, including the reactivation of inactive vessels. Religious tourism initiatives include the Revival of the Holy Family Trail and the Great Transfiguration project, transforming Saint Catherine into a global spiritual destination. In medical tourism, Egypt signed an agreement in January 2024 to establish Naya Health Resort, the country's first medical and wellness resort. Yacht tourism has been streamlined with a unified digital platform, reducing yacht visit program approvals to just 30 minutes from the previous 15–30 days, while tourist stays for yacht visitors have been extended to three months instead of one. For archaeological tourism, Egypt is revitalizing Historic Cairo, focusing on areas such as Al-Hakim Bi Amr Allah, South Bab Zuweila, Haret Al-Roum, and Darb Al-Labbana. Key developments include the trial operation of the main exhibition halls at the Grand Egyptian Museum in October 2024 and the opening of the Avenue of Sphinxes in Luxor in November 2021, featuring approximately 1,050 statues. Egypt also hosted the Royal Mummies Parade in April 2021, transferring 22 royal mummies in a grand spectacle. Finally, a comprehensive strategic plan is underway to develop the area from Sphinx Airport to Saqqara, including enhancements to the Giza Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, ensuring a world-class experience for visitors.
