Egypt aims to boost tourism. What is the plan? 

Egypt is an attractive tourist destination for many people. It is the country of ancient pyramids and the Red Sea resort. Its exotic and slightly dangerous air only adds to its appeal, even though that danger is no more than you might come across the European cities. Despite that, the government decided to bolster its tourism by a whole 30% annually over the next five years.

The officials considered engaging private firms to operate specific sites, as well as opening a new museum around the end of this year. The latter will overshadow other museums in the country with its size and quantity of treasures.   

 Such a policy isn’t at all surprising, considering that tourism is a crucial source that brings foreign currency to Egypt. It also creates jobs that are paramount for the country’s struggling economy. In 2021, the sector earned only $4.86 billion due to the coronavirus pandemic. The income was better in 2022, reaching $10.75 billion. However, the government aims to gain more in the coming years to support the economy and ensure its recovery after the pandemic struggles.

Ahmed Issa, Egypt’s tourism minister, stated that current income wasn’t even 1% of the global tourism market, missing that point slightly.

How will the country support this sector? 

The authorities issued a new budget for 41 museums and more than 2,000 archeological sites. In the 2021-22 financial year, the budget for their development was only a modest 3.2 billion Egyptian pounds. But that will change this year.

Issa stated that thanks to this new plan, the country should be able to grow its tourism industry by 25% to 30% per annum. However, growth will occur gradually over the coming decade. Eventually, these attractions should bring approximately 30 million tourists to Egypt by the year 2028.

Moreover, the government will add flights to accommodate more people. It also plans to improve the investment climate. Streamlining regulation should aid with that.