In 2024, Germany, Russia, and Saudi Arabia led the inflow of vacationers to Egypt, which noticed a notable improve in international guests. Sharm El Sheikh, Higher Cairo, South Sinai, and Hurghada skilled resort occupancy charges exceeding 75%. There are additionally optimistic expectations for an extra rise in inbound tourism in 2025 in comparison with the earlier yr.
The Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathy, acknowledged that Egyptian vacationer locations proceed to get pleasure from safety, security, and stability, remaining unaffected by the geopolitical occasions occurring within the Center East. This favorable state of affairs was mirrored within the inbound tourism numbers final yr, which recorded roughly 15.78 million vacationers.
This included about 8.7 million vacationers from July to December 2024. If this development continues, Egypt is predicted to obtain round 17 million vacationers by the top of the present fiscal yr (2024-2025), with a median of 1.4 million vacationers visiting every month.
Fathy additionally famous that the general common resort occupancy charge reached 69% final December, representing a 25% improve in comparison with the identical month in 2023. He identified that the federal government is encouraging resort funding by offering promising alternatives on this sector, together with incentives and financing initiatives designed to draw extra private-sector investments and stimulate the tourism trade.
Nonetheless, Egyptian tourism confronted important challenges following the outbreak of battle on its northeastern border in Gaza. Within the final months of 2023, usually probably the most essential vacationer season in Egypt, the cancellation charge reached 50% of whole bookings.
In 2024, Egypt’s tourism sector generated roughly $15.3 billion, accounting for about 12% of the nation’s GDP. Tourism is a major international trade supply, together with revenues from the Suez Canal, remittances, and exports.
To assist the inbound tourism trade, the Egyptian authorities has allotted a most of EGP 50 billion (about $992 million) for financing corporations on this sector. This initiative goals to develop and handle new resort rooms, increase present initiatives, or remodel closed buildings into resort services. Candidates have to acquire prior approval from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
