Tourists visiting Egypt reached 5.9 million in first half of 2017

CAIRO – 27, November 2017: The number of tourists visiting Egypt during first nine months of 2017 reached 5.9 million, according to a report issued Monday by the Egyptian Travel Agents Association.

“According to a statistic prepared by the sub accounts unit affiliated to the Ministry of Tourism announced in first half of 2017, tourists coming to Egypt during the period from January to June recorded 3.5 million increasing 50 percent against the corresponding time of 2016,” the report stated. Nights spent in touristic accommodation amounted to 32 nights hitting a 130 percent increase during the first half of 2017, compared to the same period of the previous year.

The Egyptian Travel Agents Association’s steering committee is scheduled to hold its general assembly in December, 17 2017 to present its annual report, budget, final account for 2016/2017, in addition to discussing the new budget for 2017/ 2018.The number of tourists visiting Egypt rose by 54 percent in the same seven-month period on an annual basis to reach 4.3 million thanks to the increase in visitors from Germany and Ukraine.

That number is still well below the 14.7 million who visited Egypt in 2010, prior to the 25th January revolution that toppled former ruler Hosni Mubarak.

Egypt hopes the number of tourists will reach 8 million in the whole of 2017, up from 4.5 million last year.

Tourist revenues should hit $6 billion in 2017, up from $3.4 billion in 2016, despite a continued flight ban from Russia due to the plane crash in the Sinai Peninsula in 2015.