Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, took part last night as keynote speaker in a seminar titled "The Future of Tourism in Egypt: Opportunities and Challenges", organized by the Canadian Egyptian Business Council and the Egyptian Business Council for International Cooperation, in the presence of Eng. Motaz Raslan, Chairman of the Canadian Egyptian Business Council. The seminar was moderated by Maged El-Menshawy, Chairman of the Holding Company for Tourism.
Sherif Fathy opened his remarks at the seminar by expressing his pleasure at the invitation, which he said represents a good opportunity to review and discuss the latest developments in Egypt's tourism and antiquities sector. The minister spoke about the ministry's current strategy, which is based on highlighting the diversity of Egypt's tourism assets, products and types under the slogan "Unmatched Diversity", stressing that Egypt is an established tourist destination and that this tourism diversity qualifies it to rank first in the world in terms of diversity.
The minister explained that within this strategy, work is underway to develop all tourism products and types, in addition to linking and integrating more than one tourism product into a single tourist experience in cooperation with local and international tour operators and travel companies, helping to attract tourists to new types of tourism alongside the well-known ones. He noted that the major development of Egypt's infrastructure, particularly the road network, will contribute significantly to achieving this tourism connectivity.
The minister spoke about the tourism industry in Egypt, noting that it is a strong industry capable of recovering quickly after crises, as inbound tourist traffic to Egypt grew by 7% last year despite the geopolitical conditions in the region, while the current year is witnessing notable growth in the number of arriving tourists and in tourist spending. He pointed out that tourist traffic is expected to reach nearly 19 million tourists from various markets by the end of the year.
The minister referred to his visit a few days ago to the United States to attend the annual conference of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA 2025), noting that the US market has seen an increase of nearly 20% in the number of tourists coming from it since the start of the year, and is expected to see continued growth next year.
He added that in light of this growth, and building on current and future forecasts, Egypt is now expected to achieve its tourism target of 30 million tourists by 2030, instead of 2031 as planned, if current indicators and conditions continue at the same pace. He noted that work is underway to increase Egypt's hotel capacity and airline seats and to develop airports to accommodate the targeted tourist numbers.
He explained that the ministry, within its promotional plan, is currently relying on artificial intelligence technologies, noting that the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority now has an integrated marketing plan for each market, with specific timelines and for each country separately, allowing it to reach target segments of tourists more effectively.
The minister also stressed that there is growing demand for Egypt's cultural tourism product, noting an increase of about 4 million visitors from outside Egypt to Egyptian museums and archaeological sites, a figure he described as a good indicator reflecting the growing interest in this tourism product for which Egypt is distinguished.
The minister spoke about the Grand Egyptian Museum and its opening ceremony, which came out in a manner befitting Egypt's stature and highlighted the great attention the political leadership has given to this important civilizational and cultural landmark.
He noted that the museum has seen unprecedented turnout from Egyptian and foreign visitors during the first days of its opening to the public, pointing out that the ministry is working to regulate visitor numbers and study their flow inside the museum, to maintain the quality of the visit experience and keep it focused and enjoyable. He explained that a timed-entry system has been applied to ensure smooth flow inside the museum, along with an online booking system.
He expressed his pleasure at this strong turnout and momentum in visiting the museum, especially by Egyptians and school trips. He explained that the "Rehla" platform has been launched for booking various school trips to museums and archaeological sites, helping to enhance students' archaeological and cultural awareness.
He also spoke about the development of the Giza Pyramids area to improve the quality of the tourist experience and the services provided there, ensuring a balance between offering a distinctive tourism product and preserving the monument. He stressed that any archaeological site is first and foremost a monument before it is a tourist destination, and therefore care must be taken above all to respect and preserve the monument and not to harm it or its components, as this is a national duty and a shared responsibility.
He noted that Egypt has important projects in the field of antiquities, as the ministry, represented by the Supreme Council of Antiquities, carries out between 40 and 50 restoration and maintenance projects annually, stressing that these projects cover all museums and archaeological sites in all of the country's governorates regardless of their visitor numbers, as the priority is always to protect and preserve archaeological sites so that they retain their value for future generations.
In his speech, Eng. Motaz Raslan, Chairman of the Canadian Egyptian Business Council, welcomed the minister and the attendees and expressed his appreciation to the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for accepting the invitation and for the achievements he reviewed, noting that the record figures achieved by tourism this year are clear evidence that we are moving in the right direction, despite the unprecedented challenges the tourism sector has faced in recent years.
He referred to the Grand Egyptian Museum, which he said is not just a museum, but a message that Egypt is not only displaying its history but presenting it anew in a more dazzling, human and contemporary way, which strengthens Egypt's tourism standing worldwide.
The seminar was attended by a number of current and former governors, several foreign ambassadors in Cairo, businesspeople, investors and international partners. Attendees also included Dr. Ahmed Ghoneim, CEO of the Grand Egyptian Museum Authority; Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities; Eng. Ahmed Youssef, CEO of the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority; Maj. Gen. Hisham Shaarawy, Chairman of Konouz Misr for Archaeological Replicas; Eng. Mostafa Ali El-Din, Assistant Minister for the Minister's Office Affairs; Rana Gohar, Adviser to the Minister for Communication and External Relations and General Supervisor of the General Department of International Relations and Agreements at the ministry; and Ahmed Nabil, Assistant to the Minister for Aviation and Follow-up.
