Türkiye and Egypt Highlight Tourism as Growing Pillar of Bilateral Cooperation

Turkey

At a roundtable in Ankara, both sides underscored tourism’s rising importance alongside trade, investment and sectoral collaboration

Türkiye and Egypt reaffirmed their intention to deepen economic ties during a high-level meeting in Ankara chaired by TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu and attended by Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. While the talks focused broadly on trade and investment, both delegations placed notable emphasis on tourism as a key area of expanding cooperation.

Tourism’s growing weight in bilateral relations

Foreign Minister Abdelatty highlighted tourism and health as fast-growing sectors, noting Egypt’s ambition to surpass 18 million visitors this year. He described the tourism industry as an integral part of the countries’ economic partnership, benefiting from wider efforts to improve the investment climate and streamline cross-border cooperation.

Hisarcıklıoğlu also named tourism among the major fields where Türkiye and Egypt — bound, as he said, by deep cultural and historical ties — see strong potential. Alongside industry, trade, energy and construction, tourism was framed as a sector offering immediate opportunities for collaboration and shared growth.

A broader framework for economic cooperation

The meeting reflected a mutual commitment to strengthening economic links across multiple fronts. Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s readiness to provide “every possible facilitation” to Turkish investors, emphasising the country’s large domestic market and its role as a gateway to Africa through extensive free trade agreements.

He also noted that bilateral trade stood at $8.8 billion in 2024, with a joint target of $15 billion, described as ambitious yet achievable given the countries’ “great potential.”

On the Turkish side, Hisarcıklıoğlu stressed the longstanding presence of Turkish companies in Egypt — around 200 firms, including 40 large-scale producers, employing approximately 100,000 Egyptian citizens. He pointed to opportunities in construction, infrastructure and logistics, calling the resurrection of former Ro-Ro maritime links between the two countries a beneficial step for commerce and mobility.

Tourism as a shared opportunity

Across all remarks, tourism emerged as a strategic field where both sides expect continued momentum. Egypt’s rising visitor numbers, coupled with Turkish expertise in hospitality, travel services and outbound markets, position the sector as a natural bridge within the broader economic partnership.

Both delegations voiced confidence that closer cooperation — in tourism and beyond — will support the joint goal of expanding commercial ties and strengthening people-to-people connections between Türkiye and Egypt.