"Ministers’ information" In its latest information report, it reviews the tourism scene globally and locally
The Information and Decision Support Center of the Council of Ministers issued a new information report in which it addressed the tourism situation globally and locally, with a focus on the role of museums as a unique soft power that reflects the identity and heritage of nations, and contributes to enhancing cultural tourism through its increasing spread globally, noting that tourism is one of Vital sectors that play a pivotal role in the economies of countries, and they also combine cultural diversity and cultural richness to enhance cultural exchange and economic development.
The report indicated that the value of the travel and tourism sector’s contribution to the global gross domestic product, during the year 2024, amounted to 10.9 trillion US dollars, representing about 10% of the total global product, according to the Council’s latest annual study. Global Travel and Tourism, with expectations that the sector’s contribution to the total global product will continue to grow, reaching 10.3% by the end of 2025, with a value of about 11.7 trillion dollars, and reaching its peak in 2035 at 11.5% of the GDP, with a value of 16.5 trillion dollars, which reflects the increasing role of the sector as one of the engines of the global economy, especially in light of the development of tourism services and the return of confidence. Travelers globally.
The volume of spending by international visitors witnessed a noticeable increase, reaching about 1.9 trillion US dollars in 2024, recording a growth of 11.6% compared to 2023. As for jobs, the travel and tourism sector contributed to supporting about 356.6 million jobs around the world during the year 2024, and this number will continue to rise to reach 371 million. jobs in 2025, then to 461.6 million jobs expected in 2035.
Regarding the performance of the tourism sector globally, the report indicated that the tourism sector globally witnessed a remarkable recovery during the years 2023 and 2024, as the number of arrivals increased from 975.6 million in 2022, to reach To 1,307 million in 2023, then to 1,470 million in 2024, recording a growth of 12.5% compared to 2023. Tourism revenues in 2024 also exceeded pre-pandemic levels, reaching about 1,735 billion dollars, achieving a growth of 12.9% compared to 2023. Which recorded about $1,537 billion, which reflects a strong recovery in the sector’s performance. This recovery came after the sharp contraction that the sector witnessed in 2020 due to the “Covid-19” pandemic, and indicators then began to gradually improve, driven by the easing of restrictions and increased confidence in travel, reaching a stage of almost complete recovery in 2024.
The report stated that museums are an essential pillar in supporting tourism, as they contribute to achieving a group of Cultural, social and economic benefits at the local and international levels, whether for visitors or local communities, explaining that the results of the 2023 World Museum Index issued by (Themed Entertainment Association) and (AECOM), two global bodies specialized in the entertainment, tourism, and museum industries, have shown that most global museums have witnessed an increase There is a clear increase in the number of visitors in 2023, compared to 2022, which reflects the recovery of the cultural tourism sector, as the Louvre Museum in France tops the list of the most visited museums in the world with 8.9 million visitors in 2023, followed by the Vatican Museums and the National Museum of China, and China stands out with a noticeable growth in the number of its regional museums such as the Hubei Provincial Museum and the Hunan Museum. The United States of America also maintains a strong presence through museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and British museums have achieved an increase in the number of visitors, such as the British Museum. This growth reflects the success of museums around the world in attracting visitors by improving offerings and adapting to global challenges.
As for the local level, the contribution of the tourism sector to the Egyptian GDP is 3.7% during the year 2024-2025, which is This reflects the great diversity of tourism components that Egypt possesses, making it a distinct and diverse destination, and making the sector one of the ten most prominent economic activities. The contribution of the tourism sector to the GDP also witnessed clear developments during the period (2014/2015 – 2024/2025), as it rose from 2.4% during the year 2021/2022 to 3.1% (2022/2023), then to 3.4% (2023/2024), then to 3.7% (2024/2024). 2025), which is the highest level during the decade, and reflects this successive growth The sector has recovered strongly thanks to the stability of the situation, the return of international tourism, and the success of the state’s efforts to improve tourism infrastructure and external promotion, making tourism one of the main engines of economic growth in the coming period.
The report indicated that the tourism sector is considered among the seven promising sectors identified by Egypt’s Vision 2030 to be engines of economic growth, and the value of tourism revenues in Egypt has witnessed a remarkable development during The period (2014/2015 – 2023/2024), despite being affected by the Russian plane crises and the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused a significant decline in tourism revenues. Tourism revenues in Egypt also went through a number of fluctuations during the period (2014/2015 – 2023/2024), as they recorded their lowest levels in the year 2015/2016 at a value of $3.8 billion, affected by the Russian plane crisis, then they declined again in the year 2020/2021 to about $4.9 billion as a result of the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic. Then tourism revenues returned to the rise, recording their highest record level in In 2023/2024, it amounted to about $14.4 billion, with a growth rate of 34.6% compared to 2021/2022. This is despite the repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, in addition to that; The report indicated that during the period (July – March) of the fiscal year 2024/2025, the value of tourism revenues also increased to record about $12.5 billion, compared to $10.9 billion in the same period of the fiscal year 2023/2024, with a growth rate of 14.7%.
The report indicated that with regard to the development of the numbers of incoming tourists and tourist nights, the number Tourists arriving to Egypt in the fiscal year 2023/2024 are about 14.9 million tourists, compared to 13.9 million tourists in the year 2022/2023, with a growth rate of 7.2%. The number of tourist nights also increased, reaching 154.1 million nights in the fiscal year 2023/2024, compared to 146.1 million nights in the fiscal year 2022/2023, with a growth rate of 5.5%.
The report confirmed that Egypt has a wide and diverse tourism infrastructure, as the total tourist hotel establishments (fixed and floating) reached about 1.27 thousand hotel establishments as of October. 2025, with regard to the number of convenience stores and tourist goods, it reached about 3.44 thousand stores, 1.6 thousand tourist restaurants and cafeterias, 608 diving and marine activity centers, 17.23 thousand tourist vehicles, and 2.24 thousand tourist companies.
The year 2023 witnessed a noticeable increase in the number of archaeological discoveries in Egypt, reaching 115 discoveries, compared to By only 57 in 2022, an increase of 101.8%. This development reflects the intensification of governmental and international efforts in the field of excavation, in addition to the growing interest in cultural heritage as a tributary to economic and tourism development. During the year 2023, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities opened about 38 projects that included: (cemeteries – archaeological sites – museums – mosques – churches – temples), the restoration and maintenance of which was completed or new ones opened, compared to 13 openings in the year 2022.
The report indicated that Egypt ranked 61st out of 119 countries in the Travel and Tourism Development Index for 2024, issued by the World Economic Forum (WEF), which reflects an improvement in Egypt’s ranking compared to previous years, as it was ranked 66th in 2019. The value of the same index also witnessed an increase in 2024, by 4.5% to score about 3.96 points, compared to Its value in 2019, which recorded about 3.79 points, which is considered a positive indicator of the development witnessed by the tourism sector in Egypt, and at the regional level, Egypt ranked sixth among the countries of the Middle East and North Africa region.
Regarding the classification of leading tourist destinations; Egypt continued to lead the list of leading tourist destinations on the African continent for the third year in a row, according to the Nation Brand Performance classification for the year 2024/2025 issued by Bloom Consulting, affiliated with the World Economic Forum. This achievement is driven by its diverse tourist appeal and its outstanding rating (AAA) from CBS. Which reflects the strength of its electronic performance and its growing interaction through social media platforms.
On the global level, Egypt jumped six places at once to enter among the top 25 countries in the international classification in a step that reflects a strong return of Egyptian tourism to the global scene, driven by a noticeable improvement in the country’s international reputation as a safe and attractive tourist destination. The report indicated that Egypt has succeeded in overcoming the effects of geopolitical tensions and previous security challenges. Supported by a gradual recovery in tourism revenues, which enhances indicators of comprehensive tourism recovery and restores international markets’ confidence in the Egyptian tourism sector.
Fitch forecasts indicated The American newspaper indicated that the number of tourists arriving in Egypt will reach about 17.76 million tourists by the end of 2025, an annual increase of 13.12% compared to 15.7 million tourists in 2024. The institution also expected the number to increase by 4.5% to reach 18.56 million tourists in 2026. In the medium term (2025 – 2029), the sector is likely to record Tourism is growing An average annual rate of 5.7%, reaching about 20.65 million tourists by 2029.
In parallel, Fitch expected that this increase in international tourism traffic would be reflected in revenues, reaching 17.1 billion US dollars in 2025, and rising to about 19 billion US dollars by 2029, noting that the full opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum will constitute a strong boost to the square sector. In Egypt, especially since it is considered the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilization, with expectations of receiving about 5 million visitors annually.
The report reviewed the most prominent Egyptian efforts to develop the sector through a number of main axes as follows:
– Institutional and legislative reform: A number of modern laws have been issued that keep pace with the requirements of the tourism industry at the present time, which can be summarized according to their purpose as follows: Regulating The tourism sector, protecting cultural heritage, supporting tourism investment, developing Egyptian museums and enhancing their exploitation.
– Raising the competitiveness of the Egyptian tourist destination: This is through a number of paths and directions, the most prominent of which are: raising the quality of tourism services and infrastructure, providing support to the tourism sector and its workers, developing the transportation system, attracting tourist delegations to Egypt and promoting Egyptian tourism.
Also. Egypt hosted the African Tourism Exhibition 2025 in Sharm El-Sheikh on September 13 and 14, 2025, under the slogan “The Sun of Tourism.” The exhibition aims to promote Egypt and other African markets as tourist destinations. The Egyptian state also launched a group of national projects that aimed to stimulate the tourism movement and enhance Egypt’s position as a global tourist destination, the most important of which are: the Holy Family Trail and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
-Enhancing social participation and raising the efficiency of human resources: through continuous training and qualification of workers in the tourism sector. In 2024, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities trained and qualified more than 42,960 workers across the country. Various fields include quality of tourism services, food safety, sustainable tourism, and crisis management. Specialized training courses were also organized for tourist guides and bazaar owners, with the aim of enhancing their skills in providing distinguished services to tourists.
-Enhancing digital transformation in the tourism sector: The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has adopted a modern strategy based on employing artificial intelligence techniques to enhance the promotion of Egyptian tourist destinations, with the aim of improving the tourists’ experience and attracting wider segments of visitors through marketing campaigns. Innovative. One of the most prominent examples of this strategy is the Ministry’s announcement in partnership with “Meta” Company. On November 11, 2024, the International News Agency announced the launch of the Heritage Revival Project (Project Revival), which is a digital initiative aimed at reviving ancient Egyptian civilization through interactive experiences based on augmented reality technology.
-Environmental balance and sustainability of tourism and archaeological activity: Launching the project “Transforming the city of Sharm El Sheikh into a green city”.
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