Egypt to restore less than 70% of its pre-COVID tourism numbers by 2022-end: Ex-official

Egypt to restore less than 70% of its pre-COVID tourism numbers by 2022-end: Ex-official

Elhamy El-Zayat, the former chairperson of the Egyptian Tourism Federation (ETF), told Daily News Egypt that Egypt’s tourism will restore less than 70% of its pre-COVID level this year, but the sector will boom next year, especially after hosting COP27 next November.

Middle East tourist arrivals could reach about 50% to 70% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year, amid signs of a strong and steady recovery in the sector, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international tourism saw a strong rebound in the first five months of 2022, with almost 250 million international arrivals recorded. This compares to 77 million arrivals from January to May 2021 and means that the sector has recovered almost half (46%) of pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

“The recovery of tourism has gathered pace in many parts of the world, weathering the challenges standing in its way,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. At the same time, he also advises caution in view of the “economic headwinds and geopolitical challenges which could impact the sector in the remainder of 2022 and beyond”.

The report explained that Europe welcomed more than four times as many international arrivals as in the first