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CT Insight Report: What’s new in Egypt?

Destinations11/06/26

Grand Egyptian Museum

Country records strongest MENA tourism performance with 19 million visitors

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Egypt continues to strengthen its position as a leading regional destination, recording a 16% increase in tourist arrivals in Q1 2026, despite ongoing Middle East tensions.

Cairo remains a key tourism hub, supported by new attractions such as the Grand Egyptian Museum. The US$1 billion complex, which opened in November 2025, sits adjacent to the Giza pyramids and houses more than 100,000 artefacts.

For GCC travellers, Egypt ranks as the seventh most popular outbound destination in the 2026 Connecting Travel Insight Report, based on data from travel analytics firms RateHawk and Emerging Travel Group.

Waldorf Astoria to launch luxury Nile River cruise

Anantara to debut Somabay resort on Egypt’s Red Sea

Egypt delivered the Middle East and North Africa’s strongest tourism performance in 2025, attracting 19 million foreign visitors, up 21% YoY. The Grand Egyptian Museum is expected to draw up to 8 million visitors annually, helping achieve the country’s 2030 goal of 30 million.

Nearby, West Cairo is emerging as a hub for brands including Mövenpick, Swissôtel and IHG, with a 140‐key Voco hotel opening. Egypt’s hotel pipeline reached a record 31,104 rooms in Q4 2025, with Hilton set to triple its footprint to 40 properties and Radisson adding 1,000 keys, including Luxury Collection hotels in Marsa Alam and Port Phoenice by 2027.

Mandarin Oriental Old Cataract

Key Developments

Mandarin Oriental Hotels

Mandarin Oriental is restoring two historic Nile-front hotels in Luxor and Aswan, and launching its first luxury Nile cruise connecting Cairo, Luxor and Aswan by 2027.

Khufu’s Restaurant, Giza, Cairo

Khufu’s in Giza topped MENA’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026 list, becoming Egypt’s first number one, celebrated for its culinary philosophy rooted in rich local culture

Waldorf Astoria Nile River experience

Sailing in late 2026, these four- and six- night luxury itineraries will run between Luxor and Aswan, with 29 suites, a spa and dedicated personal concierges.

Waldorf Astoria Nile River experience

Accommodation Performance

Between 2024 and 2025, accommodation spending in Egypt dropped slightly, while the duration of hotel stays also shortened, according to data from RateHawk.

Egypt ratehawk data CT Insight Report 2026

RateHawk findings

Want to know more?

This feature is an extract from the Connecting Travel Insight Report 2026. With exclusive data from industry heavyweights RateHawk and Emerging Travel Group, the 35-page report forecasts key developments in the GCC travel and tourism sector as well as revealing this year’s top 10 outbound destinations for GCC travellers, providing a roadmap to new opportunities. Get your complimentary copy here today.