Egypt is seeking to attract more Turkish investment into its tourism sector by offering additional incentives to projects aligned with its growth and development plans, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathi said.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency on the sidelines of the Eastern Mediterranean International Tourism and Travel Exhibition (EMITT 2026) in Türkiye, Fathi said Egypt is going through a strong growth phase in tourism and aims to support this momentum with new investments and international partnerships.
Fathi noted that Turkish companies are already active in Egypt, particularly in the industrial sector, but that similar interest has yet to be seen in tourism. “There is not yet the same level of interest in tourism, but we are ready to provide all necessary facilitation for Turkish businesspeople who want to invest in Egypt’s tourism sector,” he said. He added that Egypt already has very good relations with a Turkish hotel management brand that is popular in the country, and expressed a desire to expand such cooperation in the future, including through direct investment.
Additional Incentives on the Table
Emphasizing that existing incentive mechanisms are open to all foreign investors, Fathi said Egypt is willing to enhance these incentives for projects that are in line with its tourism targets.
“We offer various incentives not only to Turkish investors but to all investors interested in hotel construction or tourism-related fields,” he said. “If these investments are compatible with our objectives, we are ready to discuss increasing these incentives. For projects that will contribute positively to our growth scenario and be implemented on a timeline aligned with our development plans, we can offer additional incentives to investors showing serious interest in investing in Egypt.”
Tourism Growth Exceeds Targets
Fathi said Egypt exceeded its tourism targets in 2025, recording 21 percent growth and welcoming 19 million tourists. Türkiye stood out as a key market, with tourist numbers from Türkiye rising by 43 percent.
At the same time, around 250,000 Egyptian tourists visited Türkiye. Fathi stressed the importance of balanced tourism flows. “What matters to me is not one-way tourism, but developing it on both sides. I want more Turkish tourists to come to Egypt and more Egyptians to travel to Türkiye. A sustainable tourism model, airline operations and strong connectivity between the two countries are only possible with this mutual flow,” he said.
For this year, Egypt is targeting around 10 percent growth in tourism overall and expects at least a 25 percent increase in tourist arrivals from Türkiye. While noting that Turkish tourist numbers have not yet reached desired levels, Fathi said Egypt places great importance on the Turkish market and is also working to boost travel from Egypt to Türkiye.
Rising Interest from Turkish Tourists
Fathi said awareness among Turkish tourists and tour operators about Egypt’s tourism potential and diversity has increased over the past year. He noted growing demand from the Turkish market for Nile cruises and cultural tourism, with particular interest in the Grand Egyptian Museum and the Pyramids area.
Air Connectivity Remains a Bottleneck
Sustained growth in tourism requires joint efforts, Fathi said, highlighting the importance of coordination between governments and the private sector. He also underlined the need for greater collaboration in promotion, including the use of influencers, new destination combinations and diversified tourism products.
While feedback from Turkish tourists has been largely positive, Fathi warned that limited air connectivity is constraining further growth. He said current flight capacity between the two countries is insufficient to meet demand.
“Additional flights are on the agenda, and we are looking at an increase of around 20 to 25 percent in seat capacity. But this is not enough,” he said. “We need to add more flights and increase seat capacity on existing routes. This requires joint efforts by both Egyptian and Turkish airlines. To meet the demand we are targeting, we need to sustain this growth over the next five years. There will be growth, yes, but unless we work harder to add more flights between Egypt and Türkiye, it will not be sufficient.”
Source: Patronlar Dünyası/ Prepared by: İlayda Gök