The award, held for the second consecutive year by the D-8, followed competition with other nominated cities from Iran, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan. Iran’s candidate was Tabriz, while the cities nominated by Azerbaijan and Pakistan were not publicly disclosed.
A ministry statement said Aswan’s selection came after Egypt submitted a detailed nomination file, prepared in coordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The submission was supported by promotional materials highlighting Aswan’s tourism attractions.
Founded in 1997, the D-8 promotes economic cooperation among developing countries across multiple sectors, including tourism.
The organization comprises nine member states: Egypt, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey, with a combined population exceeding 1.2 billion.
The award reflects Aswan’s rich historical, cultural, and natural assets, as well as its growing profile as a distinctive international destination, the statement added.
It stressed that the recognition is expected to boost the city’s visibility within D-8 markets and help stimulate tourism flows to Egypt in general and to Aswan in particular.
The Tourism City of the Year award is one of the D-8's flagship initiatives, aimed at promoting sustainable tourism and enhancing the visibility of destinations across its member states.
The award is granted through a competitive voting process among D-8 countries, based on criteria including cultural heritage, tourism infrastructure, promotional readiness, and growth potential.
Turkey’s Antalya won the inaugural award in 2025. Antalya was selected by consensus among D-8 member states in recognition of its established tourism infrastructure, cultural and historical heritage, and experience in hosting international visitors, officials said at the time.
Tourism remains one of Egypt’s main sources of foreign currency, alongside remittances, the Suez Canal, and foreign investments.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt welcomed nearly 19 million visitors in 2025, marking a 21 percent increase from 2024 – well above the global tourism growth rate of around 5 percent, according to UN estimates – highlighting the sector’s resilience and competitiveness.
Egypt aims to attract 30 million tourists by 2028.
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