By Ebi Kesiena
Egypt attracted a record-breaking 7.069 million tourists between January and June 2024, compared to 7.062 million tourists during the same period last year, the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities revealed on Monday.
This figure surpasses the previous high of 6.9 million tourists recorded in the peak year of 2010, according to a report on inbound tourism received by Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Ahmed Issa.
Tourism nights also reached unprecedented levels, totaling 70.2 million, up from 67.6 million nights in 2023 and 65.7 million nights in 2010.
Egypt’s tourism revenues in the first half of 2024 soared to $6.6 billion, compared to $6.3 billion in 2023 and $5.6 billion in 2010, the report noted.
Minister Issa attributed this growth to the successful implementation of Egypt’s national tourism strategy, which focuses on expanding the capacity of the tourism sector. This includes increasing the number of incoming flight seats and hotel rooms to accommodate more tourists and enhance their experience. The strategy aims to attract 30 million tourists by 2028.
The report also highlighted the importance of periodic monitoring of tourism indicators and figures, which is part of the ministry’s efforts to attract tourists from targeted markets and boost the overall performance of the tourism sector.
The year 2023 marked a milestone in Egypt’s tourism history, recording the highest number of inbound tourists at 14.906 million, surpassing the previous peak of 14.731 million tourists in 2010.
