Central Bank of Egypt: Tourism Revenues Rise 14.9% to $14.4 Billion as Remittances Surge 32% in First Nine Months of FY2025/26
Egypt’s tourism revenues rose 14.9 percent to approximately $14.4 billion in the first nine months of fiscal year 2025/2026 (July 2025–March 2026), up from $12.5 billion in the same period a year earlier, according to preliminary balance-of-payments figures presented by the Central Bank of Egypt to the Economic Ministerial Group on Wednesday, 10 June 2026.
The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly at the government headquarters in the New Administrative Capital, also reviewed a 32 percent surge in remittances from Egyptians working abroad, which reached $34.9 billion over the same nine-month period — making remittances the country’s largest single source of foreign currency.
Two Pillars of External Balance Strengthen Together
The combined inflow from tourism and remittances of approximately $49.3 billion over nine months (derived) marks a substantial strengthening of Egypt’s external position. Remittances alone grew by roughly $8.5 billion year-on-year (derived from the 32 percent increase), while tourism added about $1.9 billion in incremental revenue. The figures suggest annualised tourism receipts approaching $19 billion if the fourth fiscal quarter maintains the nine-month pace (derived).
Continued Momentum in the Tourism Sector
The 14.9 percent revenue growth extends the sector’s multi-year recovery and is consistent with the first-quarter trend, when calendar-Q1 2026 revenues rose sharply year-on-year. Sector performance has been supported by capacity expansion in coastal and cultural destinations and sustained arrivals from European and Gulf markets.
Policy Context
The Economic Ministerial Group meeting brought together the Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt, the Ministers of Finance, Investment and Foreign Trade, Planning, Industry, and Supply, alongside the Financial Regulatory Authority, to review the trajectory of the economic reform programme and inflation trends. Annual headline urban inflation stood at 13.0 percent in May 2026 per CAPMAS — the inflation backdrop against which external-sector strength provides important support to the Egyptian pound and reserve accumulation.
Outlook
The next balance-of-payments release will show whether the nine-month pace holds through the fiscal year-end in June. With remittances at $34.9 billion and tourism at $14.4 billion already booked for the year’s first three quarters, Egypt’s two largest foreign-currency earners are running at a combined pace not seen in prior fiscal years.
Sources: Central Bank of Egypt preliminary balance-of-payments figures, presented to the Economic Ministerial Group (State Information Service, 10 June 2026); CAPMAS (May 2026 CPI).
