Egypt's tourism sector has shown an impressive recovery in 2024. Amr El-Kady, president of the General Body for Tourism Promotion (ETA), reported that over 8 million tourists visited Egypt in the first seven months of 2024.
Forecasts suggest that the sector's revenue is expected to exceed $14 billion by the end of the year, with over 15 million tourists visiting the country, setting a new record for Egyptian tourism.
In 2023, Egypt experienced significant growth, with 14.8 million tourists and tourism revenues reaching $13.2 billion, a 27% increase compared to 2022. Despite geopolitical and regional challenges, Amr El-Kady is optimistic about the future of tourism in Egypt, aiming to attract more than 15 million tourists throughout the year.
The German source market is leading with a 10% increase due to strong demand and more flights. The Russian market, Egypt's second-largest tourism market, is experiencing limited growth of nearly 5% due to geopolitical conditions. The Chinese market saw a significant 60% increase, attributed to a threefold increase in flights from China. The Arab market has experienced exceptional growth of 17%, with a 25% increase in visitors from Saudi Arabia.
Winning Strategies
According to Hossam Hazaa, a member of the Egyptian Union of Chambers of Tourism, Egypt recorded 70 million overnight stays and $6.6 billion in revenue in the first seven months of 2024. Hazaa insists these figures are reasonable considering Egypt's ongoing challenges and regional tensions. He stressed that these results affirm that the Egyptian tourism sector is on the right track and continues its recovery.
He said: "This is indeed the result of the government's development strategies and tourism initiatives, aimed at diversifying the tourism offer and strengthening sustainability to attract an increasingly wide audience."
Recognizing the importance of tourism for the country's economy, the Egyptian government adopted a development plan for the sector. The plan included launching marketing campaigns at the international level and having an intense presence at international tourism fairs. This marketing plan also highlighted the country's cultural side, such as the restoration of monuments and the partial inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). These efforts have attracted significant interest from visitors passionate about history and culture.
Targeting Different Segments
In recent years, Egyptian tourism has been focusing on attracting high-end tourists who tend to spend more, aiming to increase income rather than just the number of tourists. On average, American visitors spend between $150 and $200 per day, while visitors from the Gulf spend about $300 per day.
Egypt aims to attract 15 million visitors by 2024. The country is working on expanding and diversifying its tourism offer to cater to international markets. Strategic initiatives and investments in tourism infrastructure are being made to appeal to many tourists and maximize the sector's economic benefits. If tensions in the region ease, Egypt anticipates a promising new chapter in its tourism history and hopes to achieve a record of 18 million tourist arrivals by 2025.
