Local tour operator, Egypt Western Desert Tours, has revealed a positive outlook for Egypt tourism in the second half of 2018 to 2019.

Renowned for its rich culture, millennia-old monuments, and some of the most awe-inspiring wonders of the world, Egypt has a lot to offer to visitors from around the world. And with plenty of attractions, the country has been seeing an increase in foreign visitors from Europe, with new markets from South Korea, China and Malaysia.

According to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), the country welcomed at least 730,000 tourists in February 2018 – a 35% increase compared to the same month last year.

The founder of Egypt Western Desert Tours, Loly Gamal, expects the tourism growth to continue in 2018, estimating an increase of 20-30%.

Gamal said: “We have seen increasing visitors from UK, Ukraine, Eastern Europe along with new markets from Asia; South Korea, China and Malaysia, since the last quarter of 2017. These foreign tourists, mostly and lately come as a group tour, are looking for more attractions to extend their holidays in Egypt after cultural and historic main site visits of Cairo, Luxor or Aswan.

“With the beautiful scenery and nature of Egypt’s Black Desert, White Desert, Crystal Mountain, Bahariya Oasis, Sand dunes and Siwa Oasis, the country is rich in its nature, adventure and eco-tourism.”

In 2017, the country’s tourism sector has seen a 54% increase in visitors ballooning to 8.3 million, while tourism revenue more than doubled to USD 7.6 billion. Furthermore, group travel jumped 66.5%, a favourable increase for package tour operators.

Gamal added: “All visitors who experienced Egypt western desert have been impressed with the stunning view of the Sahara Desert; the golden sand dunes and campfire at night; local Egyptian and Bedouin food; swimming in hot springs, and fun sand boarding. In the White Desert, we can see fossils of seashells that prove the area was once a sea and watery area.

“With the amazing nature and different scenery of each area – plus professional desert tour services – we have welcomed several repeat visitors.”