Egypt to double number of tourists to 30 million by 2028 – minister

Egypt is seeking to double the number of visitors to 30 million by the year 2028, Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Issa, told The Associated Press.

“We’re seeing unparalleled demand, unprecedented demand for travel into Egypt,” Issa said in an interview.

The minister also said that Egypt welcomed ten million tourists during the first eight months of 2023.

“well on track to achieve around 15 million this year, which is going to be a record year for the tourism industry.” he added.

Tourism is a major source of foreign currency for Egypt, with revenues surging to $10.7 billion in 2022.

According to the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), the revenues went up from five billion dollars recorded the year before.

The minister also said the sector is set to get 25,000 hotel rooms to the current capacity of about 210,000.

Issa said that this increase would ensure the government achieves its target of 18 million tourists in 2024.

“That will be the fastest growth in (hotel) rooms in Egypt over the past 20 years,” he said.