Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, and Ahmed Rostom, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, held a coordination meeting to discuss strengthening cooperation between their ministries, with a focus on improving the measurement and presentation of the tourism sector’s contribution to Egypt’s national economy.
A key focus of the meeting was enhancing mechanisms for monitoring and measuring the sector’s direct and indirect economic returns and overall impact, in line with the government’s strategy of positioning tourism as one of the main drivers of economic growth.
Fathy stressed that Egypt’s tourism sector is a key pillar of the national economy, noting that it generates both direct and indirect economic returns while supporting a wide range of related sectors, activities, and industries.
He expressed his appreciation for the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development’s efforts to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the tourism sector’s contribution to the economy.
Fathy also underscored the importance of continued coordination between the two ministries to maximise the sector’s potential, align its development targets with the state’s broader economic plans, and identify the investment and infrastructure requirements needed to support its future growth.
He highlighted Egypt’s target of attracting 30 million tourists annually by 2030, noting that achieving this objective would significantly increase tourism revenues and further strengthen the sector’s contribution to the national economy.
Fathy added that meeting this target requires integrated efforts and continuous coordination among relevant ministries and government entities, alongside creating an environment that supports the sector’s sustainable growth.
During the meeting, he reviewed the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities’ current strategy, which is built around six main pillars: enhancing the competitiveness of tourism investment; diversifying tourism products; developing human resources; strengthening governance, monitoring mechanisms, and the visitor experience; promoting sustainability and advancing the digital and environmental transition; and implementing effective tourism marketing policies.
For his part, Rostom said tourism is one of the sectors contributing most significantly to Egypt’s economic growth and remains a major source of foreign currency earnings, while creating direct and indirect employment opportunities for Egyptian youth.
He noted that the sector has witnessed successive advances with the opening of new archaeological attractions, including the Grand Egyptian Museum, improvements in the country’s transport infrastructure, and the expansion of airport capacity. These developments, he said, support the government’s efforts to increase tourist arrivals and enhance tourism’s contribution to economic activity.
Rostom also stressed that tourism has strong linkages with numerous supporting industries and services, meaning that stronger growth in the sector generates wider economic benefits, creates more employment opportunities, and supports comprehensive national development.
He affirmed that coordination between the Ministries of Planning and Economic Development and Tourism and Antiquities will continue to formulate development policies for the sector and establish its future targets.
