Egypt's tourism GDP share hits decade-high as revenues surge

Tourism revenues rose by 56.1 percent to $16.7 billion in the current fiscal year (ending 30 June), marking the highest level in seven years (since FY 2014/2015), per data from the Central Bank of Egypt.

This surge was driven by a 16.4 percent increase in tourist nights, which reached 179.3 million, the report added.

Revenue in the first half of fiscal 2025/26 climbed 17.3 percent to $10.2 billion from $8.7 billion a year earlier, while Egypt attracted nearly 19 million tourists in 2025, a 21 percent increase from 2024.

The figures align with Egypt’s ambitious plan to develop the tourism sector — one of the country’s main sources of foreign currency — by expanding tourism infrastructure to attract 30 million visitors annually by 2030.

Fitch Solutions expects tourist arrivals to Egypt to rise 4.5 percent to 18.6 million in 2026, with visitor numbers projected to reach 20.7 million and tourism revenue to climb to $19 billion by 2029.

The number of hotels nationwide reached 1,300 by the end of 2025, while tourism companies totalled 2,240 and tourist vehicles exceeded 17,000, according to official data. Archaeological discoveries more than doubled in 2023 to 115 finds from 57 a year earlier.

Egypt ranked 61st out of 119 countries in the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Travel and Tourism Development Index, improving from 66th place in 2019.

The country was also named Africa’s top tourism destination for a third consecutive year in Bloom Consulting’s 2024/25 National Brand Index.

The government is targeting a roughly 60 percent increase in tourism and antiquities investments to EGP 116.2 billion ($2.4 billion) in fiscal 2025/26, as it seeks to boost foreign-currency inflows and expand private-sector participation through tourism projects.

Key projects include the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Giza Pyramids area redevelopment, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, New Alamein City and Ras El Hekma.