Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Ahmed Issa, met with Chinese officials to discuss increasing direct air flights between the two countries as Egypt seeks to attract more tourists from China.
According to Issa, marketing studies show there is significant interest from Chinese tourists to visit Egypt.
The meeting was held during a professional workshop organised by the Egyptian tourism ministry, attended by a Chinese delegation, including the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Hu Heping, to boost cooperation between Cairo and Beijing in the field of tourism.
The tourism sector is a key source of hard currency for Egypt, and it was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the country saw a recovery in the last two years, with the number of tourists increasing to 8 million in 2021 and 11.7 million in 2022.
Meanwhile, the government expects 15 million tourists to visit Egypt in 2023, and plans are underway to expand hotel capacity to receive 25-30 million visitors by 2028.
