139% Increase in Visitor Spending in Egypt
Visa revealed that long-haul trips accounted for 66% of total travel spending in summer 2025 in Egypt, Pakistan and Qatar, while payments by inbound visitors to Egypt recorded a strong jump of 139%, reflecting the growing role of inbound tourism in supporting travel activity in the region.
Travel and Spending Trends
The report showed that travel to popular destinations rose by 63% in Pakistan and by 27% each in Egypt and Qatar, while the share of outbound spending by Visa premium cardholders reached 28% in Egypt, 24% in Qatar and 11% in Pakistan.
Digital Payments and Leisure Activities
Digital payments among premium cardholders saw notable growth, reaching 110% in Pakistan and 85% in Egypt, compared with 9% in Qatar. Spending on food and entertainment also rose by 57% in Egypt and Pakistan and by 28% in Qatar.
E-Commerce
E-commerce recorded strong growth in Egypt at 55%, followed by Qatar at 20% and Pakistan at 19%, reflecting the increasing shift toward digital payment solutions.
These indicators suggest that summer 2025 marked a pivotal phase for the travel and aviation sector in the region, as the increase in digital payments was directly linked to the recovery in passenger traffic, whether through long-haul trips or inbound tourism, particularly in Egypt, which emerged as the strongest attraction market in the Middle East.
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