Egypt, bless it, has never been one to hide its light under a bushel. When you’ve got pyramids, the Sphinx and the Nile up your sleeve, understatement isn’t really your thing. But at IFTM Paris 2025, the Egyptians weren’t dusting off their usual “come see our mummies” routine. They came armed with something bolder: a declaration that Egypt is reinventing itself for the modern traveller.
And make no mistake, it was a performance. Glossy brochures, polished pitches, and a confidence that said: “Yes, we know you’ve seen the pyramids — now let us surprise you.”
The Grand Egyptian Museum finally arrives.
The first cab off the rank and the big drumroll moment is the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). After years of rumours, delays, and the odd whispered “Will it ever actually open?”, the date is now carved in stone: 1 November 2025.
This isn’t just another museum. It’s a temple of civilisation overlooking Giza’s pyramids, boasting the complete Tutankhamun collection displayed together for the first time. Yes, every glittering trinket, funerary bed, and gold mask the boy-king took to the afterlife is here, and it’s set to be presented with all the theatricality of a Broadway debut.
Egypt is banking on GEM becoming more than a museum. They want it to be a world cultural icon, where you don’t just look at artefacts, you’re swallowed whole by history, technology, and spectacle.
Not just pharaohs and pyramids
But here’s where it gets interesting. Egypt’s pitch in Paris wasn’t all hieroglyphs and sarcophagi. The country is broadening its tourism canvas.
Picture this: vibrant Cairo with its chaotic charm, Alexandria flirting with the Mediterranean, the tranquil Siwa Oasis, and the spiritual stillness of Sinai. Egypt’s playing the diversity card hard, pushing the idea that it can be all things to all travellers. Adventure? Tick. Wellness? Tick. Spiritual pilgrimage? Tick again.
They’ve even curated routes linking sacred sites across the country and modern pilgrimages for those who want to add meaning to their journey rather than just another selfie.
A greener Egypt? Believe it
Sustainability has become the watchword in global tourism, and Egypt is determined not to be left out. The Red Sea is now boasting stricter marine protection, plastic-free zones are being rolled out, and eco-lodges are popping up along the Nile and in the desert.
Bird-watchers can rejoice that the Nile Delta is being promoted as a sanctuary. Divers will find coral reefs safeguarded for future generations. Desert trekkers will discover carefully managed routes to protect fragile landscapes. Egypt wants to show off its biodiversity as proudly as its burial chambers.
The new traveller in mind
Let’s be frank: today’s tourists are a demanding bunch. They want experiences, stories, and preferably a good Instagram filter. Egypt has cottoned on. Out go the cookie-cutter packages; boutique eco-lodges, luxury desert safaris, wellness retreats, and immersive cultural circuits come in.
It’s an offer designed for the starry-eyed explorer and the well-heeled connoisseur. Egypt’s tourism chiefs know that the days of “three nights in Cairo and a Nile cruise” are numbered.
Strategy with teeth
Behind the spectacle is something substantial: a coherent national strategy. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has quietly upgraded roads, airports, and digital infrastructure while brokering deals with international operators.
It’s a plan that marries Egypt’s past with its future sustainable growth, diversified products, and global partnerships. This isn’t just marketing fluff. It’s a serious attempt to put Egypt in the premier league of 21st-century tourism.
A confident pitch in Paris
Why Paris? Because France is one of Egypt’s most loyal source markets, and IFTM Top Resa is where Europe’s tourism industry gathers to gossip, sign contracts, and set trends. Egypt wanted the biggest stage, and it got it.
Ahmed Youssef, the Egyptian Tourism Authority’s boss, delivered the soundbite with a practised smile: “Egypt combines the allure of timeless ancient wonders with new, immersive experiences that showcase the country’s full spectrum of heritage and life. From the Grand Egyptian Museum to our expanding eco-tourism projects, and with investments in digital innovation and infrastructure, Egypt is future-ready and more welcoming than ever.”
The kind of line makes journalists scribble and competitors quietly frown.
The invitation
So where does that leave us? With a country that knows it cannot survive on the fumes of ancient glory alone. Egypt is recasting itself as a modern, diverse, sustainable destination still blessed by the gods of antiquity. It now appeals to eco-conscious divers, yoga enthusiasts, and culture vultures in equal measure.
At IFTM Paris 2025, the message was unmistakable: “We are more than our past. Come see what we’ve become.”
And for once, you couldn’t accuse Egypt of exaggeration.
By Sandra Jones
