Tourist arrivals to Egypt rose by 24% in the first half of 2025, reaching 8.7 million visitors, driven by a rebound in travel demand and easing geopolitical tensions, according to Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy, local media reported.
In the first quarter alone, Egypt welcomed 3.9 million tourists—a 25% increase compared to the same period in 2024. The growth follows a record year in 2024, when the country received 15.8 million tourists, marking a 6% rise from 2023 and surpassing pre-pandemic levels by over 21%, according to UN World Tourism Organization data.
Aligning growth with strategic reform
These figures are part of a broader effort to reposition Egypt as a globally competitive tourism destination. Central to this vision is the government’s goal of attracting 30 million visitors annually by 2028.
The growth was announced during a press conference held to unveil two strategic partnerships between the Egyptian Chamber of Hotel Establishments, Sommet Education, and Lobster Ink, signaling a deeper investment in workforce development as a pillar of Egypt’s tourism strategy.
The newly announced partnerships aim to address this imperative directly. The Egyptian Chamber of Hotel Establishments has launched a comprehensive digital training program targeting all professional categories across the hotel ecosystem — regardless of location or classification — as part of a nationwide service quality upgrade.
Transforming talent
A cornerstone of the Chamber’s reform agenda is its collaboration with Lobster Ink, a global provider of hospitality training content. Through this partnership, more than 250 professional training programs will be made available online to reach 80,000 tourism sector employees across Egypt. These courses — which will be offered free of charge for three years — are supported jointly by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Chamber and will also be hosted on the Ministry’s forthcoming digital training platform.
The platform will offer structured learning pathways tailored to different hotel functions and roles, alongside national-level implementation support, including workshops, onboarding sessions, and operational integration campaigns.
Complementing this effort is a second strategic partnership with Sommet Education, a leading global network of hospitality institutions. This two-year collaboration involves Egypt’s integration into the academic offerings of Glion Institute of Higher Education and Les Roches, both NECHE-accredited and internationally recognized for excellence in luxury hospitality, tourism, and event management education.
Under this agreement, eligible staff members at Chamber-affiliated hotels will gain preferential access to postgraduate and executive education programs, allowing them to pursue internationally recognized qualifications and apply global best practices within the domestic hospitality sector. Additionally, the Sommet Education Foundation will sponsor a fully funded scholarship for one high-potential Egyptian candidate, awarded based on financial need.
A model for regional tourism growth
Taken together, these partnerships represent a holistic approach to sector development — one that combines rapid growth with long-term capability building. Egypt’s tourism recovery is now not only marked by impressive numbers but also by structural reforms that could position the country as a model for sustainable tourism growth in the region.
With strong demand, strategic investment, and institutional cooperation, Egypt appears well on its way to meeting, and possibly exceeding, its 2028 target.
