Egypt is targeting 30 million tourists annually following a record 19 million arrivals last year, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Sunday during a meeting to review measures for facilitating entry procedures and improving the visitor experience.

“We currently have an increase in numbers; last year we reached an unprecedented div of 19 million tourists, and we have the opportunity to reach target divs,” Madbouly said. He noted that the growth in arrivals has been supported by the opening and operation of the Grand Egyptian Museum.

The government is focusing on streamlining procedures at airports and increasing the number of hotel rooms to sustain this growth, Madbouly added. He emphasised that improving the “mental image” and the quality of the experience for tourists upon arrival remains the most critical factor for the sector’s development.

The meeting, held at the government headquarters in the New Administrative Capital, was attended by Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy, and Minister of Civil Aviation Sameh El-Hefny.

Cabinet spokesperson Mohamed El-Homsani said the meeting reviewed the pilot implementation of an integrated electronic visa system. Officials also discussed measures to simplify the issuance of emergency visas at ports of entry to ensure faster arrival and departure processes for visitors.

The initiative aims to reduce airport congestion and improve the efficiency of border points to enhance Egypt’s global competitiveness, El-Homsani added.

The discussions included contributions from Raafat Hindy, Deputy Minister of Communications for Information Technology Infrastructure; Haddad El-Gohary, Assistant Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs; Ahmed Assi of the Ministry of Interior’s General Administration of Passports, Emigration and Nationality; and Ahmed Amwi, head of the Egyptian Customs Authority.

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