CAIRO: Sherif Fathy, Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, announced that Egypt achieved a record in inbound tourism during 2024, welcoming 15.7 million tourists from various markets despite the geopolitical challenges in the region.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Tourism following his participation in a meeting of the Senate Committee on Culture, Tourism, Antiquities, and Media, Fathy highlighted that the achievements in Egypt’s tourism sector, despite regional and global challenges, were the result of collective efforts that must be sustained.

The minister outlined his ministry’s current strategy and objectives for developing the tourism and antiquities sector, focusing on showcasing Egypt’s diverse capabilities, resources, and tourism and antiquities offerings. These, he stated, position Egypt as the world's top tourist destination in terms of diversity.

He also announced plans to establish an Investment Opportunities Bank to prepare a unified investment map of all available tourism investment opportunities and promote them both domestically and internationally. Additionally, Fathi projected the addition of 40,000 new hotel rooms to Egypt’s current capacity in the coming period.

Fathy emphasised efforts to enhance all tourism products and styles, create new tourism concepts, integrate various offerings, and implement a comprehensive marketing plan for these products.