Egypt sees 43% jump in tourist arrivals during first quarter of 2026

Egypt received approximately 5.6 million tourists during the first quarter of this year, according to Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy, speaking to Asharq News.

This represents a 43.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year, when the country recorded around 3.9 million tourists.

In his interview with Asharq News on the sidelines of the inauguration of a solar power station at the Grand Egyptian Museum, Fathy added that Egypt’s tourism revenues from January to the end of March 2026 approached US$5.1 billion.

Tourism revenues during the first quarter of 2025 reached $3.8 billion, reflecting an increase of approximately 34 percent compared to the previous quarter

Resilience amid the Iran War

During the Iran war, which began in late February and escalated throughout March, Egypt was one of the few countries in the Middle East that kept its airspace open, and the national carrier continued operating flights to most destinations.

Several regional carriers used Egyptian airports for their flights instead of their home airports, which contributed to an increase in the number of arrivals to Egypt during the first quarter of 2026.