Dr. Sherif Farouk, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, revealed that the number of trips to Luxor and Aswan during the summer increased by between 150% and 160% following the ministry’s announcement of increased “charter flight incentives.” He expressed hope that the two cities would witness distinctive summer festivals and events.

In an interview with journalist Ahmed Salem on the program “Final Word” on ON E channel on Monday evening, he said that organizing events and festivals is the responsibility of the private sector, while the ministry’s role remains limited. He confirmed that the ministry’s current slogan is: “Egypt.. Unmatched Diversity.” He explained that relying on a mix of traditional and modern tourism marketing methods, and using artificial intelligence technologies to target markets, contributed significantly to increasing tourism attraction rates, citing a promotional campaign targeting seven European countries that achieved over 100 million interactions in just 30 seconds.

The minister added that Egypt’s participation in international exhibitions and linking them to ongoing developments in the tourism sector reflects a “different image of Egypt,” stressing that the “skirt idea” will not be repeated again in promotional campaigns due to the existence of more diverse and modern alternatives.

He pointed out the ministry’s efforts to prepare new domestic tourism products that are marketable, explaining that there are areas not yet included in tourists’ itineraries. He highlighted that the white and black sands area in the New Valley desert represents a “gold mine” for tourism and investment, saying: “The key is to sell it to tour operators.”

He confirmed that Egypt ranks first in Africa in the tourism sector, having received 15.8 million tourists last year, while the number of tourists until the end of July 2025 reached about 10.4 million tourists. Tourism revenue reached an estimated $9.6 billion, an increase ranging between 22% and 23%, compared to only 6% growth in the previous year.

He emphasized that the tourism file is not only the concern of the Ministry of Tourism but is closely linked to the security and stability of the state, the nature of citizens’ dealings with tourists, as well as government investments in infrastructure such as roads and high-speed trains, confirming that all state institutions work to facilitate the tourist experience in Egypt.