Fitch Ratings: 18.6 Million Tourists Expected in Egypt in 2026

The Information and Decision Support Center of the Cabinet highlighted a report issued by the American agency Fitch Ratings, which reviews the agency's forecasts for the Egyptian tourism sector in 2026. The report also addresses the momentum witnessed in the number of tourists arriving in Egypt, the impact of the Egyptian tourism market on the global market, and the efforts undertaken by the state to develop the tourism sector and enhance its position in the Egyptian economy.

The report emphasized the positive outlook for the tourism sector in Egypt and the associated positive expectations extending to 2026, continuing the strong momentum achieved during 2025. The agency expects the number of tourists arriving in Egypt to reach 18.6 million in 2026, an increase of 4.6% year-on-year compared to the previous year. The number of tourists is expected to continue increasing until 2029 at an annual growth rate of 5.8%, reaching 20.8 million tourists.

The report indicated that Egypt's tourism sector has fully recovered from the effects of the pandemic. Arrivals in 2023 increased by 26.9%, exceeding 2019 levels by 114%. 2022 saw growth of 46.8%, reaching 11.7 million tourists, following a 117.5% increase in 2021. This came after a sharp decline in 2020, when visitor numbers plummeted to 3.7 million due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, compared to approximately 13 million tourists in 2019.

The Information and Decision Support Center explained that Fitch Ratings expects the number of tourists from Europe to reach 10.2 million in 2026, compared to 8.4 million before the pandemic. This makes Europe the primary source of tourism for Egypt in the short and medium term. Egypt benefits from the markets of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and France, while also expanding its targeting of Eastern European markets such as Russia, Ukraine, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

The report emphasized that Egypt retains its appeal as a preferred winter destination for Europeans seeking affordable holidays, while the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia continue to limit tourist flow from these two markets. Egypt remains an attractive option for Russian tourists due to its proximity and reasonable prices, especially given the limited number of destinations available to them and the rising costs in Europe.