Egypt Ministry of Tourism Announces Record-Breaking Tourists in 2023

A record-breaking 14.9 million tourists visited Egypt in 2023, marking a 33% growth in the country’s share of global tourism compared to 2019, according to Egypt’s Minister of Tourism. In the recent Senate plenary session, Ahmed Issa highlighted that this accomplishment results from coordinated efforts between the ministry, the private sector, and strategic partners.

Among the achievements for 2023 highlighted by the minister is a 10% increase in the number of hotel rooms, reaching a total of 220,000 rooms. This surge aligns with the ministry’s accommodation goals set for 2024.

Additionally, the revenues of the Supreme Council of Antiquities witnessed a five-fold increase in the fiscal year 2023-2024, effectively reducing its reliance on the government’s budget from two-thirds of its spending to zero, thanks to successful financial reforms.

Commencing his speech, Issa emphasized the ministry’s dedicated efforts to realize sustainable tourism development that aims to strike a balance between economic development in Egypt, preserving the environment and cultural heritage, and achieving economic and social benefits for the state.

The minister then tackled the sector’s most prominent challenges and outlined the key components of the National Strategy for Tourism Development, initiated in November 2022.

These components encompass expanding access to Egyptian tourist destinations by doubling the number of airline seats, enhancing the tourism investment climate, increasing the inventory of hotel rooms in the upcoming period, and elevating the overall tourist experience and quality of tourism services in Egypt.