ISTANBUL

Egypt aims to double the number of Turkish tourists visiting the country in the coming years, following a 40% increase last year, Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy said.

Speaking at a press conference at the East Mediterranean International Tourism and Travel Exhibition (EMITT) in Istanbul on Wednesday, Fathy said diplomatic ties between Türkiye and Egypt have strengthened, bolstered by high-level visits by the two countries' leaders.

"On the political level and the bilateral relations level, we are enjoying the peak of our cooperation because the two presidencies exchanged visits, which has boosted the relations between the two countries," the Egyptian minister said.

He said collaboration between Türkiye and Egypt extends beyond tourism to other sectors, including cultural heritage.

"Yesterday, I was honored to meet Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy in Ankara. The Turkish government kindly presented us with some artifacts that have been confiscated from smugglers. We thank them very much, and I thank the Turkish government again for walking the talk and handing these artifacts back to our government,” he said.

During the meeting, Türkiye and Egypt also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in tourism and other areas, he added.

"I really look forward to developing this relation further," he said.

Tourism growth and targets

Fathy highlighted the rise in Turkish visitors to Egypt but said there is room for further growth.

"Last year, we enjoyed an increase in the number of tourists coming from Türkiye, a 40% increase. The number is not high enough, but I am confident that the numbers will double during the coming years," he said.

He also encouraged increased promotional efforts in Türkiye. "I encourage my colleagues, my counterpart, to increase the marketing activities of Türkiye in Egypt. I would love to see more Egyptians also coming to visit different parts of Türkiye. Türkiye has a lot to offer as a touristic destination," he added.

Egypt, known for its historical and cultural attractions, is also promoting adventure tourism, eco-tourism, and coastal destinations under the slogan "unique diversity," Fathy said.

Despite geopolitical challenges, Egypt recorded a 6% increase in tourist arrivals last year, reaching 15.75 million visitors, with tourist spending rising by an estimated 30-40%, he noted.

"It was a good year,” despite the challenges, although Egypt fell short of our double-digit growth target, he said.

"For 2025, our forecast, or conservative forecast, is to continue growing at the same rate, and it all depends on a few factors,” Fathy said, pointing to these factors, including geopolitical developments, the global economy, and hotel capacity.

To address capacity constraints, Egypt is seeking foreign investments in hospitality infrastructure, he said.

Pyramids redevelopment plan

Egypt is also working on a master plan for the Pyramids area, which includes Sphinx International Airport and the Grand Egyptian Museum, the minister said.

Encouraging investment in the sector, Fathy said Egypt offers high returns and rapid capital recovery for investors. "We will be glad to facilitate and make their dreams come true," he said.

He said Europe remains Egypt’s primary tourism market, but visitor numbers from Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, have surged, making Saudi Arabia one of Egypt’s top three source markets.

For the summer season, Fathy expressed optimism, citing strong pre-booking demand. "The expectations for this summer are extremely high. The demand for forward bookings is extremely high. We're witnessing nowadays the highest occupancy," he said.

Fathy reiterated Egypt’s commitment to strengthening tourism cooperation with Türkiye, including promoting reciprocal marketing initiatives.

"We will invite professionals from Türkiye to Egypt. I want Türkiye to do marketing in Egypt. I want to do the same here. I can only facilitate for the Turkish government to conduct marketing activities in Egypt," he said.

"They even asked us to nominate maybe some influencers. We will give them the names of the influencers to come here and promote Türkiye, and we will do the same from our side. My intention is to create a win-win kind of cooperation between the two countries, and my success will be in seeing numbers growing from two for both countries," he added.