ABTA: Rising hotel accommodation prices reflect increased demand for Egypt as a destination
...and calls for expanding the application of accessible tourism standards in hotels and museums in Egypt
Head of the International Tourism Investment Corporation (ITIC): We are ready to support efforts to attract investment to Egypt's tourism sector
Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, met with representatives of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) as part of his participation in World Travel Market London (WTM 2025), held from November 4 to 6. ABTA is the largest travel and tourism association in the United Kingdom, with more than 1,100 travel agents and tour operators among its members.
The association's delegation included Susan Deer, Director of Industry Relations, and Angela Hills, Head of Destinations. The meeting discussed ways to enhance cooperation and information exchange between the two sides to support the promotion of Egypt as a tourist destination in the UK market.
ABTA officials affirmed that Egypt has become one of the tourist destinations offering high value for money and is seeing a marked improvement in the quality of the tourism services provided, noting that rising hotel accommodation prices reflect increased demand for Egypt as a destination.
They added that the exchange of information on Egypt's tourism industry should be strengthened to ensure that Egyptian tourism products are available to British tour operators and travel agents, and also pointed to the need to expand the application of accessible tourism standards in hotels and museums in Egypt to meet the needs of all categories of tourists.
The meeting also discussed British companies' plans for Egypt as a tourist destination in the coming period, and heard the association representatives' proposals and views on developing existing cooperation and strengthening Egypt's presence on the British tourism map.
For his part, the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities stressed the importance of the British market as one of the most important source markets for tourism to Egypt, noting that British tourists place great value on tourism experiences that combine culture, entertainment and beach activities. He reviewed the ministry's vision and strategy, which focuses on highlighting the unique diversity of Egypt as a tourist destination, combining cultural, beach, therapeutic and heritage tourism at the same time, adding that this diversity makes Egypt a destination unmatched by any other.
Fathy spoke about the Grand Egyptian Museum, which was recently inaugurated in a global celebration watched by the whole world, noting the exceptional value this cultural landmark will add to Egypt as a destination and its role in attracting more visitors in the coming phase.
In a related context, the minister held another meeting with Ibrahim Ayoub, CEO of the International Tourism Investment Corporation (ITIC), who expressed the corporation's readiness to support efforts to attract investment to Egypt, especially in the tourism sector, which is one of the most promising areas of growth.
During the meeting, the Minister of Tourism reviewed the most prominent investment opportunities available in Egypt, referring to the general strategic plan for developing the area extending from Sphinx Airport to the Saqqara area, which includes the Giza Pyramids area and the areas surrounding the Grand Egyptian Museum, given the huge investment opportunities it holds in accommodation, entertainment and tourism services.
The Minister of Tourism also touched on the Berenice area south of Marsa Alam, explaining that it is a promising area witnessing major tourism development and investment projects. It has an airport that facilitates access, in addition to the possibility of linking it to the cities of Upper Egypt, Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh as it lies on the Red Sea coast, which gives it promising investment and tourism opportunities.
The two sides agreed to study opportunities for cooperation in the coming period with the aim of boosting tourism investment in Egypt and attracting more international partners to contribute to supporting the growth of the Egyptian destination.
