The Cabinet's Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) has highlighted a report issued by the US agency Fitch setting out its forecasts for Egypt's tourism sector in 2026. The report also addresses the momentum in tourist arrivals to Egypt, the global impact of the Egyptian tourism market, and the efforts the state is making to upgrade the tourism sector and strengthen its position in the Egyptian economy.
The report affirmed the positive outlook for Egypt's tourism sector and the related positive expectations extending into 2026, continuing the strong momentum achieved in 2025. The agency expects tourist arrivals to Egypt to rise to 18.6 million in 2026, an increase of 4.6% compared with 2025, with arrivals continuing to grow through 2029 at an annual rate of 5.8% to reach 20.8 million tourists.
The report noted that Egypt's tourism sector has fully recovered from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, with arrivals in 2023 rising by 26.9% to surpass 2019 levels at 114%. In 2022, growth of 46.8% was recorded, reaching 11.7 million tourists, following a 117.5% increase in 2021 after a sharp collapse in 2020, when the number of visitors fell to 3.7 million due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, compared with around 13 million tourists in 2019.
Tourism from the European Market to Egypt
The IDSC explained that Fitch expects the number of tourists from Europe to reach 10.2 million in 2026, compared with 8.4 million before the pandemic, making Europe the main source of tourism to Egypt in the short and medium term. Egypt benefits from the UK, German, Italian and French markets, while expanding its targeting of Eastern European markets such as Russia, Ukraine, Poland and the Czech Republic.
The report stressed that Egypt retains its appeal as a favourite winter destination for Europeans seeking moderately priced holidays, while the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia continue to limit tourist flows from these two markets. Egypt is an attractive option for Russian tourists thanks to its proximity and reasonable prices, given the shrinking number of destinations available to them and rising prices in Europe.
The report said the future performance of Egyptian tourism will remain strong, with an expected annual growth rate in arrivals of 5.8% through 2029. Egypt is an established tourism market with developed hotel infrastructure in the Red Sea, Luxor, Aswan and Cairo, and offers a mix of beach, cultural and historical tourism, with 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The industry is also distinguished by its resilience and ability to recover after periods of political turmoil, particularly following its recovery between 2017 and 2019. Arrivals are expected to continue growing thanks to affordable offers, improved services and a weaker currency.
Egyptian Tourism Revenues
On international tourism receipts in Egypt, the report expected that, in parallel with the increase in tourist numbers, revenues will rise to US$17.8 billion in 2026, up 4.2% on the previous year, and will continue to grow to reach $19.1 billion in 2029 at an annual rate of 3.3%.
The Egyptian tourism sector benefits from spending by tourists from markets with high purchasing power, such as the United Kingdom, Germany and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
The report also pointed to expected growth in Egypt's gross value added (GVA) from accommodation and food services of 16.7% in 2026, to reach EGP 635.3 billion, compared with EGP 544.5 billion in 2025, with an annual growth rate of 15.5% over the 2025-2029 period, to reach EGP 775.6 billion in 2029.
The government supports the sector by encouraging domestic and international spending, amid continued investment by global chains in luxury hotels on the Red Sea coast.
Egyptians Travelling Abroad
Outbound trips from Egypt are also expected to grow by 4.2% to reach 4.9 million in 2026, and are expected to keep rising to 5.2 million in 2029, at an average annual growth rate of 4.2%. Trips are focused on Middle Eastern destinations due to their proximity and low cost, as well as business and family ties, led by Saudi Arabia because of Hajj and Umrah.
International Promotion of Destination Egypt
The report concluded by stressing that Egypt draws on long experience in tourism marketing, with its campaigns expanding from Europe to the Gulf and North African markets. It noted that the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority launched in 2022 the "Follow the Sun" campaign in Europe and the "Your Holiday Is Here" campaign in Middle Eastern markets, targeting tourists from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Jordan, while the Ministry of Tourism continues its work with bloggers and influencers to promote Egyptian destinations, according to the official Facebook page of the Egyptian Cabinet.
