Egypt expects to attract 30 million international tourists by 2028.
According to statistics from the Egyptian Government, in 2019, the tourism industry contributed up to 32 billion USD to the economy . After the Covid-19 pandemic, although the country's "smokeless industry" has recovered significantly, it has not yet reached its peak. In 2022, tourism revenue will only reach 22 billion USD, contributing 12% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In order to promote the development of the tourism industry, the Egyptian Government has recently launched many measures to achieve the growth target of 25 - 30% per year.
In its national strategy for tourism development, Egypt has emphasized increasing accessibility to tourist destinations, increasing the number of flights to Egypt, stimulating and enhancing the investment climate, and improving the tourist experience at destinations.
In a notable move, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi approved Law No. 27 of 2023, which concerns the establishment and management of tourism bureaus. This is considered one of the pillars of the national strategy for tourism development and an important step in the roadmap to improve the investment environment and strengthen the functions of tourism bureaus.
In addition, Egypt’s Minister of Local Development Hisham Amna said that the country is prioritizing the development of tourism and heritage sites to help achieve sustainable economic growth and improve the quality of life for its citizens. “Unprecedented challenges are threatening our tourism and heritage cities, such as climate change and rapid urbanization. Developing sustainable tourism requires a balance between environmental, socio-economic and cultural needs and concerns. Currently, the Egyptian government has been allocating resources to develop the necessary infrastructure in cities with heritage sites and reviewing conservation planning to achieve sustainable tourism goals.”
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is encouraging the diversification of tourism programs to attract potential tourists by upgrading hotels, resorts and facilities to be environmentally friendly. The country has created four ecotourism zones: coastal, desert, riverside and wetland. According to Hesham El-Barmelgy, PhD in urban design and sustainable development, Egypt’s tourism potential will be hindered without proper planning, marketing and management. With its attractive nature and a long-term sustainable tourism strategy, Egypt’s ecotourism industry will be able to develop at a global level and lead other countries in the future.
Identifying human resource training as one of the top priorities of the tourism industry in the coming period, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is currently promoting the training and development of staff, focusing on language proficiency and service skills requirements for most recruitment rounds in the hotel and tourism industry. At the same time, the Egyptian Government is also strengthening cooperation with the World Tourism Organization to modernize standards for the tourism industry. In the aviation sector, in addition to strengthening security measures at domestic tourist destinations, local and international airports in Egypt have demonstrated greater professionalism, creating opportunities for tourism to grow stronger.
In the financial sector, the Central Bank of Egypt has allowed tourism companies to borrow at a preferential interest rate of 8% and to delay repayments when facing difficulties related to the decline in visitors to Egypt. The Ministry of Finance has provided a credit guarantee worth nearly 100 million USD to the CBE to pour into commercial banks to achieve the target of lending at an interest rate of 5% for a period of 3 years, applicable to hotels and tourism businesses.
With its rich and diverse natural resources, history and cultural heritage, Egypt hopes to enhance its competitiveness to attract the largest number of tourists from different markets and achieve its goal of welcoming 30 million international visitors by 2028.
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