RIYADH: Egypt’s tourism revenues surged 4.7 percent year on year during the first half of 2024 to reach $6.6 billion, according to a new report.
Issued by the African country’s Ministry of Tourism, the data indicates a 17.8 percent rise compared to the corresponding period in the peak year of 2010, according to a statement.
This rise is mainly attributed to an increase in Egypt’s inbound airline seats and hotel rooms, which contribute to accommodating travellers and improving the visitor experience.
This increase in numbers also falls in line with the country’s National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism 2030, which aims to boost visitor traffic to 30 million by 2028,
This is achieved by working to attain incoming tourist traffic rates to the Egyptian destination by about 25 percent and 30 percent annually, within the framework of Egypt’s Vision 2030.
It also aligns well with the country’s continuous and periodic follow-up of indicators and numbers of incoming tourist traffic to Egypt from the targeted visitor markets.
Moreover, the report revealed that the total number of travelers arriving in Egypt during the first half of this year reached 7.07 million, which is almost identical to the historical record achieved during the same period in 2023, which amounted to 7.06 million tourists.
In the first six months of 2024, Egypt has seen a significant increase in tourist arrivals compared to 2010, surpassing the peak year’s figure of 6.9 million tourists.
Meanwhile, tourist nights also saw growth in the first half of this year, reaching 70.2 million, surpassing previous records of 67.6 million in 2023 and 65.7 million in 2010.
In January, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism revealed that a record-breaking 14.9 million tourists visited Egypt in 2023, marking a 33 percent increase in the country’s global tourism share compared to 2019.
Ahmed Issa, speaking during a Senate plenary session, attributed this success to coordinated efforts between the ministry, private sector, and strategic partners.
Issa highlighted several achievements for 2023, including a 10 percent rise in hotel room capacity to a total of 220,000 rooms.
Also in January, the UN released its World Tourism Barometer report which showed that countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council witnessed a substantial increase in international tourist arrivals in 2023, collectively growing by 128.9 percent compared to 2019.
The report also emphasized at the time that the GCC is expected to sustain its upward trajectory in international tourist arrivals
