Egypt deserves to be seen as a primary holiday proposition in its own right, the boss of the country's tourism authority has told TTG, not just a beneficiary of the war in Iran.
Dr Ahmed Youssef pointed to the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum, Nile cruises, and Red Sea diving as entry points for agents looking to sell more complex Egypt itineraries
Asked if Egypt was well positioned to pick up business as people look for Middle East alternatives, Dr Ahmed Youssef, Chief Executive of the Egyptian Tourism Authority, said the country should not be anyone's "Plan B".
"It has a proposition of its own," he told TTG, speaking after appearing at a Jet2 Destination Partnership Event in Leeds this week.
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Egypt deserves to be seen as a primary holiday proposition in its own right, the boss of the country's tourism authority has told TTG, not just a beneficiary of the war in Iran.
Dr Ahmed Youssef pointed to the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum, Nile cruises, and Red Sea diving as entry points for agents looking to sell more complex Egypt itineraries
Asked if Egypt was well positioned to pick up business as people look for Middle East alternatives, Dr Ahmed Youssef, Chief Executive of the Egyptian Tourism Authority, said the country should not be anyone's "Plan B".
"It has a proposition of its own," he told TTG, speaking after appearing at a Jet2 Destination Partnership Event in Leeds this week.
Youssef hailed Jet2's return to the destination next year after a 15-year absence, and pointed to the Pyramids, the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum, Nile cruises and Red Sea diving as entry points for agents looking to sell the destination and build "longer, richer holidays" and more complex itineraries.
He added said Jet2's return to Egypt, with flights from seven UK airports to Hurghada and six to Sharm el Sheikh, would help the UK trade tap into that proposition by opening up new regions and giving more travellers direct access to the destination.
Dr Ahmed Youssef attended a Jet2 Destination Partner Event in Leeds this week
"It also expands Egypt's reach into new markets," he said, highlighting the airline's Leeds Bradford and Edinburgh services to Sharm El Sheikh. Jet2 will operate nearly 20 flights a week to Egypt next year offering more than 4,000 seats, with the programme running year-round from February 2027.
It comes as Egypt seeks to close what El Gouna's hotel chief previously described to TTG as a "distribution and awareness gap" in the UK, with the Red Sea destination investing in agent training, fam trips and trade partnerships to build its profile.
Jet2 reveals new year-round Egypt programme in full including four exclusive routes
The UK is already one of Egypt's top six source markets, with around 1.1 million British visitors in 2025, up 17% on 2024. Egypt welcomed 19 million visitors in 2025, up 21% on the previous year, while 12.8 million have arrived so far this year.
Youssef expects Egypt to finish 2026 with around 20 million visitors, which would represent another record, with the country also expanding its hotel infrastructure to support this influx in demand. Around 7,600 new rooms across roughly 30 hotels are due to open in 2027, according to Youssef.
He added Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh would remain the "backbone" of Egypt's Red Sea tourism, while Marsa Alam is developing its diving and nature, offering as well as quieter coastal experiences.
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