In line with presidential directives to maximize Nile tourism in Egypt, Minister of Transport Kamel El-Wazir and Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Issa convened on Tuesday to explore plans for joint cooperation, aiming to double the capacity of floating hotels in the upcoming years.

Initiatives include establishing a riverside tourist resort in Abu Simbel and providing international-level tourist services, according to a joint statement by the two ministries.

The ministries also aim to build new floating hotels to grow Egypt's overall hotel capacity, which currently stands at 14-15 million tourists per year, according to Issa.

The plan also involves enhancing existing Nile docks and building new ones.

Moreover, it includes offering training for floating hotel crews, with more frequent courses to ensure continuous skill development.

This project will significantly contribute to the development of Nile tourism, in line with the growing demand from countries exporting tourism to Egypt, according to the statement.

In FY2022/23, Egypt's tourism revenues hit a record high of $13.6 billion, up 26.8 percent from $10.7 billion in FY2021/2022, according to data released by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE).

During the first half of the year, Egypt attracted 7 million tourists, and in October alone, it hosted 1.3 million visitors from 80 countries—an 8% increase from October 2022.

Recognizing the pivotal role of tourism in bolstering foreign currency inflow, Egypt aims to attract 30 million tourists annually by 2028, doubling the current projected figure of 15 million.

Earlier, Issa said that the maximum number of tourists Egypt can attract per year currently ranges between 14-15 million.

"Right now we have 1,200 tourist hotels, 1,300 tourist restaurants, 12,000 tourist guides, 2,200 tourist companies, 130 archeological sites, and 31 museums," he said.

To achieve the target number of 30 million tourists yearly, Issa indicated that “we have to double our hotel rooms, offer low-cost air travel and diversify our tourist products in order to achieve the target of attracting 30 million tourists per year.”