Egypt sees 43% jump in tourist arrivals during first quarter of 2026

Egypt received approximately 5.6 million tourists during the first quarter of this year, according to Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy, speaking to Asharq News. This represents a 43.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year, when the country recorded around 3.9 million tourists. In his interview with Asharq News on the sidelines of the inauguration of a solar power station at the Grand Egyptian Museum, Fathy added that Egypt’s tourism revenues from January to the end of March 2026 approached US$5.1 billion. Tourism revenues during the first quarter of 2025 reached $3.8 billion, reflecting an increase of approximately 34 percent compared to the previous quarter   Resilience amid the Iran War During the Iran war, which began in late February and escalated throughout March, Egypt was one of the few countries in the Middle East that kept its airspace open, and the national carrier continued operating flights to most destinations. Several regional carriers used Egyptian airports for their flights instead of their home airports, which contributed to an increase in the number of arrivals to Egypt during the first quarter of 2026. However April saw a decline of approximately 16 percent compared to the same period last year, the Minister of Tourism revealed.   2025’s Tourism Recovery This comes at a time when Egyptian tourism has achieved a strong recovery in 2025, driven by a combination of improved security, lower costs for tourists due to the devaluation of the Egyptian pound, and the unprecedented momentum generated by the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in the last quarter of last year. Egypt aims to attract approximately 21 million tourists this year, compared to around 19 million in 2025, representing a growth of 10.5 percent. This follows a record number of visitors last year, with a 21 percent increase, and tourism revenues are expected to approach $ 24 billion, compared to $ 15.3 billion in 2024. The post Egypt sees 43% jump in tourist arrivals during first quarter of 2026 appeared first on Egypt Independent.