Egypt plans to draw 30 million tourists each year by the fiscal year 2030/31, aiming to generate up to $40 billion in annual tourism revenue while expanding its accommodation capacity to about 500,000 hotel rooms and other units, the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry announced. The targets also include increasing the total annual tourist nights to 300 million, reflecting a major growth ambition for the sector.
Between July 2014 and June 2026, Egypt hosted approximately 135 million tourists who spent 1.37 billion nights within the country, producing an estimated $125 billion in tourism income, according to statistics released by the Egyptian
Government. The sector faced significant setbacks when arrivals dropped to around seven million in 2015 following the downing of a Russian passenger plane over Sinai and fell further to about four million during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. Tourism numbers rebounded to 19 million in 2025, with continued growth projected.
Currently, about 35,000 hotel rooms are under construction or development to support expected visitor growth. The Egyptian Government has provided a financing program for tourism projects backed by 50 billion Egyptian pounds (LE), with 35 billion LE already disbursed and plans to extend this support further.
Employment in the tourism sector
rose from two million workers in June 2014 to 4.5 million by June 2026. During the same period, Egypt’s archaeological sites and museums recorded roughly 173 million visits, with around 240 conservation and restoration projects completed. The country recovered about 30,000 antiquities illegally taken abroad. Visitations to these cultural locations reached about 18 million in 2026.
Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy emphasized that the 2030/31 targets are not limitations, suggesting Egypt could attract 60 to 70 million tourists annually if capacity and conditions improve. The ministry’s strategy highlights diverse tourism offerings, cultural engagement, luxury tourism growth, and maintaining service
quality while balancing rising hotel prices with Egypt’s competitiveness as a destination. Major projects such as the Grand Egyptian Museum and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation are contributing to the momentum of the sector, according to government sources.
