Curious travellers have been visiting Egypt over 5,000 years ago, inspired by a list of treasures that keeps growing, even today. Recently an extraordinary new statue of Ramses II has been unearthed, ancient tombs discovered, gold-tongued mummies brought to light, and an incredible 2,500-year-old funerary tunnel revealed.

And good news for Canadians, the destination has become easier to get to with the easing of visa burdens on Dec. 1 – once again allowing travellers from this country to obtain their documents online in advance.

Lauding his country’s soaring tourism numbers despite the war in the Middle East, Sherif Fathy, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, told media at the recent World Travel Market in London that the country has an ambitious goal of reaching 30 million tourists by 2028 with its national tourism strategy, and especially to increase visitations from North America, which only accounts for 4% of its current 15 million annual tourists.

And he maintains that Egypt “has the ingredients” to achieve its lofty target due to the potential of its unique combination of natural and archaeological attributes.

“Egypt is the No. 2 most diverse destination in the world,” Fathy said. “We have seas (Med. and Red); we the have desert with camping and rural tourism; the Red Sea has become a natural preserve; and, of course, we have the Nile and the archaeological sites, antiquities, and 27 museums…”

To meet the expected demand, Egypt will double its capacity of hotel rooms by 2031 adding 131,000 rooms; construct new airports; continue to diversify and digitize product; focus on sustainability and environmental protection; and develop a host of new options for visitors including wellness tourism and Cairo city breaks.

“We have big ambitions, and we have project teams in the ministry working on developing projects that will be launched in a few years time,” Fathy said.

Meanwhile, there’s plenty going on right now:

Cairo

The starting and ending point of any trip to Egypt, Cairo is undergoing an ambitious program of restoration and development designed to encourage visitors to position the city as place to stay even longer before heading out on the Nile.

• A major improvement of the visitor infrastructure around the Pyramids includes new hotels, restaurants, hop-on hop-off electric transport and shady seating areas, plus new photographic vantage points to guarantee that essential shot.
• In the heart of old Cairo, with magical panoramas of the entire city, Saladin’s formidable Citadel, founded in 1176 AD was home to the Egyptian government for 700 years. After extensive restoration work on its medieval towers, gardens and mosques this hilltop fortress has become a major focus for tourism.
• There is a new 4.7 km walkway along the Nile and new developments in hotels and resorts.
• Old Cairo is being restored and pedestrian zones established.
• Countless other architectural gems, including domes, minarets and a 12th century synagogue have also been restored while tourist infrastructure has been improved and extended.

Museum highlights

• The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), located in Giza near the Pyramids, has taken another step towards full operations with the opening of 11 new galleries to 4,000 people per day. When fully open, the venue will be the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilization. Some areas were already open, including “Tutankhamun – The Immersive Exhibition,” a 360-degree spectacle that takes visitors into the life of the legendary king.
• Alexandria’s Graeco-Roman Museum has reopened after 18 years of restoration, displaying around 6,000 artifacts from the times of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Cleopatra. In collaboration with the University of Munich, and the Hildesheim Museum, The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir opened a permanent archaeological exhibition of stunning treasures from the Wadi al-Seboua Temple of King Amenhotep III, pharoah when ancient Egypt was at its peak of glory.

New hotels

• Egypt’s first art hotel, Hyatt Centric Cairo West, features 283 rooms near the new Grand Egyptian Museum. Also opening are the Mandarin Oriental Shepheard, the revamped historic Shepheard Hotel, and the 450-room luxury Cairo House, with the largest rooftop venue in Cairo.
• Opening in 2025. IHG Hotels & Resorts is constructing two new hotels in western Cairo and planning a major investment in the DOSE North Coast resort, featuring artificial lakes, swimming pools, spa, kids clubs, running and biking tracks and an aquapark.
• In Luxor, the Four Seasons Hotel Luxor will house 200 guestrooms and suites, each with views of the Nile River, the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens when it opens in 2026.

Wellness in the desert

Wellness is a growth area for Egypt with new resorts like Naya building on ancient traditions. Siwa Oasis has 230 natural springs and a thousand free-flowing wells that help with rheumatic conditions. In the Western Desert, the Bahariya Oasis has beneficial sulphur and mineral waters, while the Kharga Oasis, situated in the far south, was once a way-station on the camel trade route to Africa and has deep therapeutic wells renowned for treating skin conditions and arthritis.

Wildlife and birdwatching 

Egypt is making great strides in environmental protection and biodiversity with a new Green List of accredited eco-lodges and diving centres:

• The once-deserted Nilotic island of Bigeh, believed by the ancient Egyptians to be the birthplace of Osiris, is now home to Eco Nubia, an award-winning site dedicated to Nubian culture that offers kayaking and swimming.
• With mangroves, reefs, desert islands and coastal mountains, Wadi Al-Gemal, on the Red Sea is a haven for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts. Home to Bedouin tribes plus a spectacular array of wildlife including the rare Nubian ibex, green turtle and dugong, this unique ecosystem also has Al-Fustat ecolodge, built using traditional materials and architecture.
• Close to Cairo is Wadi Degla, famous for its deep canyons and home to a fascinating array of wildlife plus mountain biking and hiking trails.

New tourist city on the Mediterranean

Egypt and the UAE are working together on a US$24-billion project to develop the Ras al-Hekma peninsula into a resort city with its own airport. With white sandy beaches and turquoise waters 212 km west of Alexandria, the location is expected to become a major luxury destination.

Become an Egypt specialist

A new Egypt e-Learning program for the travel trade enables frontline travel agents and tour operator staff to become Egypt specialists. An agents’ resources section with a photo and video library plus a selection of downloadable brochures will help sales. Click HERE.

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