Starting from April, the government will ease entry procedures for many nationalities.
Egypt aims to achieve 30 million tourists by 2028 - File Photo
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior, has announced a package of new visa facilitations to attract more tourists to the country.
Starting from April, the government will ease entry procedures for many nationalities, as the country aims to achieve its goal of attracting 30 million tourists by 2028.
Adel El Masry, the head of the Tourism and Restaurants Chamber of Commerce, praised the government's decision in a press statement, stating that the new visa facilitations will benefit the Egyptian tourism sector and increase the influx of tourists.
He added that these facilitations will help achieve the state's tourism aspirations and strategies, including an annual growth rate of 25% to 30%. It is expected that tourism numbers will surpass that target via the E-Visa electronic tourist visa platform.
El Masry lauded the efforts of the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Ahmed Issa, in conveying the demands and hopes of the tourism sector to the Cabinet, which responded by approving the visa facilitations.
He also stressed that significant efforts are being made by all state authorities to improve the tourism industry in Egypt, with the main focus being on providing easier access for tourists.
El Masry revealed that the chamber has informed its members of the new facilitations in a periodic notice, enabling them to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the tourism industry and align their investments accordingly.
In recent years, Egypt has successfully managed to attract more tourists to its ancient historical sites and beautiful beaches, with over 13 million tourists visiting the country in 2019. The new visa facilitations are expected to further boost the tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
