Egypt’s Minister for Tourism and Antiquities, Ahmed Issa, will be attending this year’s WTM to unveil updates to the country’s ambitious national tourism strategy.
Egypt’s tourism strategy aims to achieve rapid growth in the sector. The country has already received more than 7 million tourists during the first half of 2023, the highest level in Egypt’s history.
The government, under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s administration has worked to boost the sector to ensure it remains competitive with other global tourist destinations. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, headed by His Excellency Ahmed Issa, strives to improve and elevate the quality of tourism services offered to visitors to reach their impressive targets.
Grand Cairo project: Promoting Cairo as a cultural destination
Egypt’s 7000-year-old heritage makes it one of the most fascinating countries in the world. In recent years, the country has experienced a cultural renaissance. Egypt has spent billions of pounds opening new museums and restoring archaeological sites. The plan is to have three museums in Cairo presenting the treasures of ancient Egypt: the old Cairo Museum in Tahrir Square will remain open; the Royal Mummies can be seen at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation; and the new Grand Egyptian Museum will showcase a new collection.
Tourism Investment in Egypt: Hotels
The government is committed to enhancing tourism by investing in the number of hotel rooms in the country. The government is currently working on a new hotels project which will include new incentive packages to attract local and foreign investors for the construction of new hotel projects in the country. The move is expected to create 400,000 hotel rooms within five years.
Inaugurations: The GEM in Giza and the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) will be a spectacular addition to Egypt’s attractions. Built close to the Giza pyramids, when finished it will be one of the largest museums in the world. Remarkably, the entire Tutankhamun collection will be housed together for the first time. And after 18 years of restoration, the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria has finally reopened promising to offer visitors a profound journey through the annals of Greek and Roman heritage in Egypt.
Update on visas to Egypt
In an effort to boost tourism, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities recently announced that it will be issuing a multiple-entry visa for a period of five years, with a GBP 562 (EGP 21,000) fee, for citizens of 180 countries.
H.E. Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Ahmed Issa
Previously, a banker, and a leader of change and innovation in one of emerging markets’ most respected companies, His Excellency aims to emphasize the importance of the tourism industry and its role in the Egypt’s national economy.
