Saturday 07/February/2026 – 10:44 PM
Sherif Fathi, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, held a number of professional meetings with major tour operators and Turkish tourism companies bringing tourism to Egypt, to discuss ways to enhance joint cooperation and push more tourist traffic from the Turkish market to the Egyptian tourist destination, on the sidelines of his participation in the international tourism exhibition EMITT in Istanbul.
During the meetings, the Minister reviewed the performance of the Turkish market during the year 2025, noting that there has been a growth in the number of tourists arriving to Egypt by about 43% compared to 2024, with expectations that this growth will continue during the current year. Ways to overcome any challenges that may face the increase in tourist flows between the two countries were also discussed.
The Minister stressed the importance of developing the bilateral tourism movement between Egypt and Turkey, and mutual promotion of the two countries in a way that contributes to introducing the two peoples to diverse tourism experiences, in addition to the role of this in supporting the sustainability of flights between the two sides. He also discussed the possibility of organizing introductory trips for Turkish bloggers, content makers, and influencers to get to know closely the various Egyptian tourism components, in addition to organizing specialized trips for incentives and conferences products.
The Minister of Tourism discusses with major Turkish tour operators increasing tourist traffic coming to Egypt
For their part, the tour operators reviewed the volume of their work in the Egyptian market and their future plans, stressing that Egypt has become the first tourist destination for Turkish tourists during the year 2025, with an increasing demand for visits, especially to the cities of Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurghada, Cairo and Luxor, in addition to the Grand Egyptian Museum, which has become a major attraction after its opening.
The Minister pointed out that the fruitful cooperation with tour operators and the private tourism sector, in addition to the aviation incentive programs provided by the Ministry, contributed to achieving remarkable growth rates in incoming tourist traffic from various markets.
He also explained that Egypt received about 19 million tourists during 2025, an increase of more than 20% compared to 2024, while museums and archaeological sites witnessed a growth of more than 30% in the number of visits.
The Minister reviewed the Ministry’s vision and strategy based on highlighting the diversity of Egyptian tourism products and the possibility of integrating them to provide an integrated tourism experience, such as combining beach and cultural tourism, spiritual tourism, long Nile cruises, visiting the Holy Family itinerary, in addition to combining the North Coast with Siwa and other diverse experiences.
He stressed the importance of diversifying tourist segments and designing innovative tourism programs that meet various interests, noting that tour operators have already begun marketing programs that combine more than one tourism experience in one program.
The meetings were attended by Ambassador Wael Badawy, Egypt’s ambassador to Ankara, Dr. Ahmed Youssef, CEO of the Egyptian General Authority for Tourism Promotion, Rana Gohar, Advisor to the Minister for Communication and External Relations and General Supervisor of the General Administration of International Relations and Agreements, Susan Mostafa, Head of the Central Administration for Tourism Marketing at the Authority, Dalia Twig, Director of the Middle East, Africa and Turkey Unit in the General Administration of Foreign Offices, and Engineer Marwa Ibrahim, General Director of the General Administration of Exhibitions and Events at the Egyptian General Authority for Tourism Promotion. Tourist.
