CAIRO: Egypt received at least 48 international flights to two Red Sea cities since the lockdown has been partially lifted at the start of this month.
Egypt had halted flights for almost three months due to the coronavirus outbreak.
But since their resumption, the past 13 days witnessed tourists arriving to the cities of Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada from countries like Ukraine, Belarus, Switzerland and Hungary.
Tourists visiting the resort cities tend to enjoy their warm weather, dive into the clear waters of the Red Sea and experience their unique nature.
Hopes of reviving tourism in Egypt were shattered by the coronavirus outbreak earlier this year, though many in the industry expect to witness improvement as life begins to return to normal.
Before the pandemic, tourism was beginning to flourish following years of political turmoil that have drastically affected the industry.
In 2019, tourism started booming as figures showed that 13.6 million people visited Egypt in that year, the BBC reported.
More than 15 million tourists were expected this year, before the coronavirus outbreak.
Egypt receives 48 international flights to Red Sea cities this month
https://arab.news/688rc
Egypt receives 48 international flights to Red Sea cities this month
- Egypt had halted flights for almost three months due to the coronavirus outbreak
- Hopes of reviving tourism were shattered by the coronavirus outbreak
Riyadh region welcomes 15m tourists by end of Q3
RIYADH: The Riyadh region welcomed 15.1 million tourists from within and outside Saudi Arabia by the end of the third quarter, underscoring the Kingdom’s growing presence on the global tourism map.
In an X post, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism said total tourist spending in the region reached approximately SR33 billion ($8.8 billion) during the period, marking an 18 percent year-on-year increase.
Strengthening the tourism sector is a key pillar of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 agenda, as the Kingdom seeks to diversify its economy and reduce reliance on crude revenues. Under the National Tourism Strategy, Saudi Arabia aims to attract 150 million visitors by the end of the decade.
“The Riyadh region recorded growth in its tourism indicators; the capital witnessed a significant increase in the number of visitors and a rise in the volume of tourism spending during the third quarter of 2025,” the Ministry of Tourism said in the post.
The ministry added that the number of tourist rooms in the Riyadh region rose by 34 percent year on year in the third quarter of 2025 to reach 50,000.
According to the ministry, the number of registered tour guides in the Riyadh region climbed to 673 during the third quarter, up 44 percent compared with the same period last year.
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Tourism, Princess Haifa bint Mohammed, said domestic tourism spending in the Kingdom reached SR105 billion by the end of the third quarter of 2025, representing an 18 percent year-on-year increase.
Speaking at the Budget Forum 2026, Princess Haifa said the tourism sector remains one of the most promising drivers of national economic diversification.
In April, data from the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, showed that inbound tourism spending in the Kingdom surged to a record SR153.61 billion in 2024, marking a 13.82 percent annual increase.
Earlier this month, the Tourism Development Fund announced six agreements and a memorandum of understanding with public and private sector entities during the Development Finance Conference Momentum 2025, strengthening partnerships with a total impact exceeding SR4 billion.
The fund plays a central role in advancing development finance and sector growth as a national enabler, supporting business expansion and broadening the tourism investment base.
