RIYADH: A record-breaking 14.9 million tourists visited Egypt in 2023, marking a 33 percent growth in the country’s share of global tourism compared to 2019, according to Egypt’s Minister of Tourism.
In the recent Senate plenary session, Ahmed Issa highlighted that this accomplishment results from coordinated efforts between the ministry, the private sector, and strategic partners.
Among the achievements for 2023 highlighted by the minister is a 10 percent increase in the number of hotel rooms, reaching a total of 220,000 rooms. This surge aligns with the ministry’s accommodation goals set for 2024.
Additionally, the revenues of the Supreme Council of Antiquities witnessed a five-fold increase in the fiscal year 2023-2024, effectively reducing its reliance on the government’s budget from two-thirds of its spending to zero, thanks to successful financial reforms.
Commencing his speech, Issa emphasized the ministry’s dedicated efforts to realize sustainable tourism development that aims to strike a balance between economic development in Egypt, preserving the environment and cultural heritage, and achieving economic and social benefits for the state.
The minister then tackled the sector’s most prominent challenges and outlined the key components of the National Strategy for Tourism Development, initiated in November 2022.
These components encompass expanding access to Egyptian tourist destinations by doubling the number of airline seats, enhancing the tourism investment climate, increasing the inventory of hotel rooms in the upcoming period, and elevating the overall tourist experience and quality of tourism services in Egypt.
The minister emphasized the importance of partnering with the private sector to boost investments, ultimately increasing the room capacity to accommodate 30 million tourists by 2028.
In line with this objective, Issa disclosed the finalization of hotel investment incentives, pending some last adjustments in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance. These incentives will soon be dispatched to Egyptian banks for immediate implementation within the upcoming days.
According to the minister, the primary goal of these incentives is to accelerate the expansion of hotel capacity in Egypt and incentivize investors to swiftly contribute to either the completion of construction or the operational aspects of new hotel facilities commencing at the start of 2026.
Issa highlighted key objectives for the body, including expanding into new markets, enhancing the skills of personnel in the industry, promoting domestic tourism, and increasing awareness of tourism and archaeology across all segments of society, particularly among children.
Deputy Minister for Tourism Affairs Ghada Shalaby emphasized environmentally conscious hospitality, considering sustainability and energy conservation factors. She noted that approximately 20 percent of existing hotel capacity in Egypt holds green certificates, along with 44 diving and safari centers.
Shalaby also highlighted the ministry’s ongoing efforts to develop a tourism product tailored for visitors from Gulf countries, especially Saudis, collaborating with distinguished companies to offer a modern and advanced Egyptian visitor experience that meets their demands and preferences.
