WTTC hosts leadership cruise through Egypt’s Suez Canal

Egypt

More than 300 tourism leaders from around the world gathered in Egypt to discuss recovery, resilience, and future growth in the global Travel & Tourism sector

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is hosting its first-ever Leadership Cruise along Egypt’s Suez Canal, bringing together more than 300 leaders from the public and private sectors for discussions on tourism recovery and long-term industry development.

The event, supported by the Egyptian Government, is taking place aboard the Crystal Serenity and has attracted ministers, tourism executives, and international industry stakeholders from around the world.

Sponsors of the initiative include the Antonio Lefebvre Foundation, Visit Egypt, Crystal Cruises, Coral Travel Group, and luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent.

Egypt positioned as a symbol of tourism resilience

WTTC President & CEO Gloria Guevara described Egypt as an example of resilience and growth within the global tourism industry.

“Egypt itself is a great example of resilience in the Travel & Tourism sector,” she said.

“President El-Sisi is a leader who has championed growth in the sector, with Egypt seeing a USD 34.4 billion contribution in 2025, as well as an impressive 19 million visitors entering the country.”

Guevara also highlighted the symbolic importance of the Suez Canal for the event.

“The Suez Canal could not be a more fitting location for the WTTC Leadership Cruise, as we bring together public and private sector leaders from all over the world to collaborate on the global recovery.”

She additionally thanked Egypt’s Tourism Minister and Minister of Planning and Economic Development for their contribution to both the event and the country’s tourism growth.

Tourism revenues and infrastructure investments continue to grow

Egypt has seen a strong rebound in tourism revenues in recent years. According to WTTC, tourism income increased from USD 4.9 billion in 2020/2021 to more than USD 18 billion in 2025.

The country is also expanding its tourism infrastructure significantly. Plans include doubling the number of hotel rooms from the current 240,000, increasing aviation capacity across 27 airports, and investing in high-speed rail projects.

Egypt’s tourism appeal is supported by more than 2,000 kilometres of coastline, a growing cultural tourism offering, and extensive archaeological heritage.

Among the country’s most recent developments is the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which houses more than 100,000 artefacts, including 20,000 displayed publicly for the first time.

Across the country, Egypt currently offers more than 200 museums and archaeological sites, as well as seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Industry leaders focus on recovery and future growth

WTTC Chairman Manfredi Lefebvre described the event as an important moment for international tourism cooperation.

“It is an honour to host the first ever WTTC Leadership Cruise onboard the beautiful Crystal Serenity,” he said.

“Over 300 leaders from our sector have gathered to experience the best of Egypt alongside positive and constructive discussion about the resilience and recovery taking place in the Travel & Tourism sector.”

The programme includes sessions focused on Egypt’s tourism development as well as discussions with ministers and CEOs about future expansion strategies in destinations and tourism businesses worldwide.

According to WTTC’s latest figures, the global Travel & Tourism sector contributed USD 11.6 trillion to world GDP in 2025, accounting for 9.8% of the global economy and supporting 366 million jobs worldwide.