Egyptians Outnumber Foreigners at Archaeological Sites With 2.3 Million Visitors

The Pyramids stay on top with some 49,000 Egyptian visitors in August and 642,000 over eight months

1.6 million foreign tourists visited archaeological sites in eight months, 158,000 of them in August

We still love our heritage, and the proof is that Egypt's antiquities continue to draw thousands of Egyptians, ranking among the best and most enjoyable outings during holidays and on ordinary days alike. In fact, Egyptians outnumbered foreigners at archaeological sites across the country's governorates: 2.3 million Egyptians visited them between January and August 2015, compared with 1.6 million foreign tourists over the same period.

This is despite the fact that, according to official tourism statistics published exclusively by Travel Yalla, foreign arrivals who came specifically for cultural tourism, where visiting antiquities is the main draw, numbered only about 39,000. This shows how keen foreign visitors are to include archaeological sites in their itineraries, whether they came for leisure and beach holidays or any other type of tourism, often through day trips from coastal destinations such as Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada.

The Pyramids top the list of archaeological sites by visitor numbers. Egyptians made 642,000 visits in the first eight months of the year, 49,000 of them in August alone, while 309,000 foreign tourists visited the world's most important archaeological site over the eight months, including 36,000 in August.

The Egyptian Museum: a strong contender

Next comes the Egyptian Museum, the easiest site to reach for Egyptians and foreigners alike thanks to its location on Tahrir Square, close to most of Cairo's major hotels. It remains the main attraction for foreign antiquities lovers, recording about 170,000 Egyptian visitors against 248,000 foreign tourists between January and August 2015.

In August, the two groups were almost neck and neck at the museum, with 27,019 foreign tourists versus 26,791 Egyptian visitors.

Foreigners lead in Luxor

Luxor confirmed its standing as a magnet for foreign visitors, outpacing the Pyramids. It is a destination in its own right, whereas the Pyramids are a must-see stop for almost everyone arriving in Egypt. The city drew about 357,000 foreign tourists in the first eight months of 2015, while Egyptians made 167,000 visits to the ancient city's monuments. That is because Luxor is a winter trip for Egyptians, with its main domestic season running from November to the end of February each year.

In August, with temperatures soaring, Luxor's monuments saw very few Egyptian visitors, just 471, compared with 32,000 foreign tourists.

Aswan, on the other hand, proved very popular with Egyptians thanks to its stunning natural scenery, even though its climate is similar to Luxor's. It drew about 406,000 Egyptian visitors versus 186,000 foreign tourists over eight months. In August, 3,694 Egyptians visited, compared with 8,886 foreign tourists.

Visitors to Egypt's main archaeological sites, January–August 2015: