Dr Ahmed Youssef, chief executive of the Egyptian Tourism Authority, attended Jet2’s Destination Partners Event in Leeds on September 30, 2026, as Egypt’s tourism sector reported continued expansion. The UK market delivered about 1.1 million British visitors in 2025, marking a 17 percent increase over the previous year. Overall, Egypt set a record with 19 million international tourists in 2025 and recorded approximately nine million arrivals across all markets in the first half of 2026.
Expanding UK Tourism Through Multi-Centre Holiday Promotions
Youssef urged UK travel agents to broaden tourism offers beyond Egypt’s traditional resort and Nile cruise positions. He emphasized targeting longer stays, repeat visits, and
multi-centre holidays that combine cultural sites with beach destinations. “Our ambition for the UK is about value as much as volume: longer stays, more repeat visits, and more British travellers combining the Red Sea with Cairo, Luxor or the Nile, or adding the Mediterranean coast for a summer itinerary,” Youssef said. He encouraged agents to present Egypt as a destination where several distinct experiences can be combined within one trip, rather than viewing it solely as a cruise or resort location.
The Egyptian Tourism Authority highlights emerging experiences in areas such as Marsa Alam, Siwa, the Western Desert, and Egypt’s
Mediterranean coast, along with growing premium Nile offerings including intimate dahabiyyas. Cairo’s fully opened Grand Egyptian Museum and developing culinary scene provide additional incentives for combining city visits with beach or Nile stays.
Year-Round Jet2 Flights and New Hotels to Support Growth
Jet2 plans to launch year-round flights to Egypt from six UK airports starting in February 2027, increasing direct access. Youssef expressed a desire to see more UK flights directly to Luxor and Marsa Alam, facilitating itineraries centered on the Nile Valley or southern Red Sea. Expansion of UK regional airport connections to Egypt throughout the year is also sought to boost accessibility.
Accommodation capacity will expand with
roughly 7,600 new hotel rooms opening in around 30 properties across Egypt in 2027. Key hotel developments are slated for Luxor, Aswan, Sharm el-Sheikh, Marsa Alam, Cairo, and the North Coast. This expansion aims to support multi-destination stays combining cultural and beach locations.
Around Luxor, which lies directly in the path of a total solar eclipse on August 2, 2027, visitors can experience about six minutes and 22 seconds of totality — a unique event expected to drive high demand during that period.
Official Calls for Integrated Travel Experiences
Dr Ahmed Youssef emphasized combining cultural and beach elements within single itineraries as central to Egypt’s tourism
strategy. He cited the 15.6 percent rise in arrivals during the first quarter of 2026 and a roughly 33 percent increase in tourism revenue to $5.1 billion during the same period as indicators of strong momentum.
He told agents: “A week on the Red Sea with three nights in Luxor, or Cairo and the Nile followed by the beach, is an easy sell. The more agents build that in at the point of booking, the more of Egypt British travellers will see.”
Youssef also said the upcoming 2027 eclipse presents a timely opportunity, stating, “For agents, the opportunity is to
start thinking about 2027 not simply as another year for Egypt, but as a year in which several new reasons to visit come together. The eclipse is one of the clearest examples, and Luxor is likely to book up early for that week.”
