Arab Tourism in Egypt Regains Its Footing at Summer's End With a Slight 2.3% Dip in September

Rises in the main markets, led by Lebanon and Jordan

Total for the first nine months of 2015 reached 1.3 million Arab tourists

Last September saw an improvement in Arab tourist traffic to Egypt, recording about 164,000 tourists, a slight decline of 2.3% compared with the same month of 2014, who spent 1.6 million tourist nights, improving its position after their numbers fell by 12% last August compared with the same month last year.

According to Ministry of Tourism statistics, which Travel Yalla exclusively publishes and analyzes, Arab tourists achieved collective increases in the period from January to September 2015, with total arrivals to Egypt reaching about 1.3 million tourists, up 11% compared with the same period last year, which saw 1.2 million tourists. This increase was supported by Arab tourism recording, in the third quarter of this year (July-September), the highest turnout of 2015 so far, at about 518,000 tourists, as it represents the peak of Arab tourism in Egypt during the summer and holiday season, while the second quarter of this year (April-June) recorded about 440,000 tourists, higher than the first quarter's 372,000 tourists only.

It is worth noting that total inbound tourism last September reached 802,000 tourists, of whom Arab tourists accounted for about 20%.

Increases Prevail in the Main Arab Markets

Saudi Arabia topped the list of Arab countries with 48,554 tourists arriving last September, compared with 44,590 tourists in the same month last year, an increase of about 9%, who spent 375,000 tourist nights. This represents a notable improvement in turnout compared with August, which saw 39,491 Saudi tourists. It also achieved a 30% increase, recording 337,000 tourists in the first nine months of this year in total, maintaining its first place among Arab markets and fourth among all tourist markets.

Lebanon and Jordan led the notable wave of increases across the various Arab markets in Egypt, as the number of Lebanese arrivals reached 8,956 tourists in September, an increase of 47% compared with the same month last year, who spent about 50,000 tourist nights. Over the nine months in total, they reached 60,000 Lebanese tourists, up 34% compared with the same period of 2014.

As for Jordan, tourist arrivals from it to Egypt recorded 19,795 tourists in September, up 38% compared with the same month last year, and over the nine months in total their number reached 134,000 Jordanian tourists, a slight increase of 2.7% compared with the same period of 2014.

In a related context, the UAE is seeking stability despite inbound tourism from it declining slightly in September by 2.5%, to 3,066 tourists, compared with 3,146 tourists in September 2014, while total arrivals in the first nine months of 2015 reached 33,196 tourists, a jump of 43.6% compared with the same period of 2014.

Collapse of the Yemeni, Syrian and Palestinian Markets Due to Poor Security Conditions

On the other hand, tense security conditions in some Arab countries as a result of ongoing wars and conflicts have made them lead the waves of decline in tourist arrivals. Arrivals from Palestine reached 7,607 tourists in September, down 55% compared with the same month last year, while over the nine months of 2015 they totaled about 48,000 Palestinian tourists, down 47% compared with the same period of 2014.

Sharing its sorrows is Syria, which recorded 4,541 tourists in September, down 29% compared with the same month last year, while over the nine months of 2015 arrivals totaled about 40,000 tourists, down 17% compared with the same period of 2014.

Meanwhile, the escalating pace of the war in Yemen has led to the collapse of this tourist market, as Yemeni arrivals to Egypt fell 70.3%, recording only 3,243 tourists in September, the largest rate of decline among Arab countries, compared with about 11,000 tourists in the same month last year. Over the first nine months of 2015, they recorded 45,000 Yemeni tourists, down 43% compared with the same period of 2014.

A table showing the main Arab source markets for tourism to Egypt during the period from January to September 2015: