Egypt hits record-breaking 14 million tourist visits in 2023 despite political tension
Egypt achieved a record-breaking 14.9 million tourist visits in 2023 alone, despite uncertainties about the political landscape and tension in the region.
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Issa announced that the country welcomed a record-breaking 14.9 million tourists in 2023, surpassing the previous high of 14.7 million tourists recorded in 2010, Ahram Online reports.
Issa attributed the success to the implementation of the national tourism strategy, which aims to stimulate the supply side of the Egyptian tourism product, foster positive relations with the private sector, build confidence, and enhance the sector's performance and the state's dollar revenue.
Despite falling short by 600,000 tourists from the planned figures due to the conflict in Gaza, the fourth quarter of 2023 saw 3.6 million tourists visiting Egypt. This represents an 8 percent increase compared to the same quarter the previous year.
In terms of revenue in the sector, the Minister revealed that revenues had multiplied fivefold during the fiscal year 2023-2024 compared to 2021-2022.
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Efforts to boost airline capacity also played a crucial role in the tourism surge. The minister highlighted plans to triple available airline capacity by 2028, citing a substantial increase in stimulated and incoming airline seats. The figures rose from 561,852 seats in August 2022 to 698,779 seats in October 2023.
