Fitch: Egypt to welcome 17.76M tourists by end of 2025, 18.56M in 2026

CAIRO – 23 October 2025: A recent report by Egypt’s Cabinet Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) revealed strong growth projections for Egypt’s tourism industry, citing Fitch Solutions forecasts that estimate 17.76 million tourists will visit Egypt by the end of 2025, rising to 18.56 million in 2026.

The report, which examined global and domestic tourism trends with a focus on museums as cultural and economic powerhouses, emphasized that tourism remains one of the world’s most vital sectors — representing 10% of global GDP in 2024 with a total contribution of $10.9 trillion, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). This figure is expected to rise to $11.7 trillion by 2025, reaching 11.5% of global GDP (about $16.5 trillion) by 2035, underscoring tourism’s pivotal role in driving economic recovery and development.

Global Tourism Recovery

The tourism industry has witnessed a strong rebound, with 1.47 billion international arrivals in 2024, up 12.5% from 2023. Global tourism revenues exceeded $1.73 trillion in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time, following years of disruption caused by COVID-19. The sector also supported 356 million jobs in 2024, a number projected to rise to 371 million in 2025.

Museums, the report noted, play a key role in this resurgence. The Louvre Museum in France topped the list of most-visited museums in 2023 with 8.9 million visitors, followed by the Vatican Museums and China’s National Museum. Meanwhile, Egypt’s Grand Egyptian Museum, set to fully open in 2025, is expected to significantly boost cultural tourism, attracting around 5 million visitors annually.

Egypt’s Tourism Growth and Economic Impact

Tourism contributes 3.7% to Egypt’s GDP in fiscal year 2024/2025, reflecting a strong recovery from 2.4% in 2021/2022. The sector remains one of Egypt’s top 10 economic activities, driven by political stability, infrastructure upgrades, and successful international promotion campaigns.

Tourism revenues surged to $14.4 billion in FY 2023/2024, marking a 34.6% increase from the previous year, despite global challenges such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In the first nine months of FY 2024/2025, Egypt recorded $12.5 billion in tourism revenues, up 14.7% year-on-year.

The number of tourist arrivals also rose by 7.2%, reaching 14.9 million in FY 2023/2024, while overnight stays climbed to 154 million, up 5.5% from the previous year.

Egypt currently boasts 1,270 hotel establishments, 3,440 souvenir shops, 1,600 restaurants and cafés, 608 diving and marine activity centers, 17,230 tourist vehicles, and 2,240 licensed travel companies.

Fitch Forecasts Strong Future Growth

According to Fitch Solutions, Egypt’s tourism sector will continue to grow steadily through the remainder of the decade. The agency projects average annual growth of 5.7% between 2025 and 2029, reaching 20.65 million visitors by 2029. Tourism revenues are expected to climb from $17.1 billion in 2025 to $19 billion in 2029, with the Grand Egyptian Museum’s inauguration serving as a major driver of this growth.

Egypt’s Rising Global Tourism Standing

Egypt ranked 61st globally in the 2024 World Economic Forum Travel and Tourism Development Index, improving from 66th in 2019. It also placed 6th regionally in the Middle East and North Africa and was named Africa’s leading travel destination for the third consecutive year in the Nation Brand Performance Index 2024/2025, thanks to its diverse attractions and strong digital presence.

Globally, Egypt climbed six places to enter the top 25 tourist destinations, reflecting the country’s success in restoring international confidence in its tourism industry.

Government Efforts to Strengthen the Sector

The report highlighted several strategic initiatives supporting Egypt’s tourism renaissance:

Institutional and legislative reforms modernizing tourism regulations, protecting cultural heritage, and encouraging investment.

Infrastructure and service upgrades, improving transport networks and enhancing visitor experiences.

Human capital development, with over 42,960 tourism workers trained in 2024 across various fields including hospitality, food safety, and sustainable tourism.

Digital transformation, leveraging AI-powered campaigns and launching the “Project Revival” in partnership with Meta to promote Egypt’s ancient heritage through immersive augmented reality experiences.

Egypt also hosted the 2025 Africa Tourism Expo in Sharm El-Sheikh, under the theme “The Sun of Tourism,” showcasing Egypt and Africa’s tourism potential to international markets.

With record visitor numbers, increased revenues, and strong international recognition, Egypt’s tourism sector is poised for its most dynamic decade yet, reaffirming its position as one of the world’s fastest-growing travel destinations.