Egypt has been announced as the Premier Partner for World Travel Market (WTM) London 2026, marking a major milestone for the country as it continues to expand its global tourism presence. The partnership was confirmed by WTM London, one of the world’s most influential travel industry events, with the Egyptian Tourism Authority taking on the flagship partner role for the 2026 edition.
The agreement was formalised during a signing ceremony recently at Neon at Battersea Power Station in London, following the exclusive launch of Ramses and the Pharaoh’s Gold: The Exhibition. The ceremony brought together Chris Carter-Chapman, Event Director at WTM London; Ahmed Youssef, CEO of the Egyptian Tourism Authority; and Sherif Fathi, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, who officially confirmed the partnership.
Egypt’s long relationship with WTM London
Egypt has maintained a strong presence at WTM London since the event’s inaugural edition in 1980, making it one of the longest-standing participants at the global travel exhibition. In recent years, the country has significantly expanded its participation at the show. Its exhibition stand space grew by more than 20 percent between 2023 and 2024, followed by a further increase of over 50 percent in 2025. Overall, this represents nearly 90 percent growth in stand space since 2023, highlighting Egypt’s increasing investment in global tourism promotion. At the 2025 edition of WTM London, Egypt’s pavilion hosted around 90 co-exhibitors, demonstrating the event’s importance as a platform for collaboration across the international travel industry.
Discussions are already under way to expand Egypt’s presence even further for the 2026 event. WTM London has also seen a growing number of Egyptian travel suppliers participate independently. In 2025, for example, national carrier EgyptAir operated its own stand, while several hotel groups, resorts and destination management companies also exhibited at the show.
Tourism growth driving global ambitions
Egypt’s appointment as Premier Partner comes amid strong growth in the country’s tourism sector. According to official figures, Egypt welcomed nearly 19 million international visitors in 2025, representing a 21 percent increase compared with 2024 and significantly outperforming the global tourism growth rate of 5 percent. The country is currently connected to almost 200 cities worldwide through international flights, reflecting its growing global tourism appeal.
Looking ahead, Egypt aims to reach 30 million tourist arrivals by 2031, supported by continued investment in tourism promotion and infrastructure. The WTM Global Travel Report 2025, produced in partnership with Tourism Economics, also predicts a 27 percent increase in inbound tourism spending in Egypt by 2030.
Industry leaders highlight partnership
Talking about the partnership, Ahmed Youssef, CEO of the Egyptian Tourism Authority, said:
“WTM London has been instrumental in helping Egypt to become one of the world’s most popular outbound leisure destinations. We intend to take full advantage of our Premier Partner status to promote the world’s oldest tourism destination to an even wider range of source markets and traveller types.”
Sherif Fathi, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, said: “Our Premier Partnership with WTM London reflects Egypt’s strategic vision to position itself as a leading global tourism destination. We will use this important partnership to promote our vision, ‘Egypt – Unmatched Diversity,’ which highlights the extraordinary breadth of experiences our country offers.” He added that the agreement was signed during the opening of Ramses and the Pharaoh’s Gold: The Exhibition in London, highlighting the role of international partnerships in strengthening Egypt’s global tourism profile.
Talking about the announcement, Chris Carter-Chapman, Event Director of WTM London, said: “We are delighted to have secured the Egyptian Tourism Authority as our 2026 Premier Partner this early in the planning cycle. We’re excited to work with them over the coming months as they seek to achieve their growth aims and propel them towards their target of 30 million arrivals by 2031.”
The next edition of WTM London 2026 will take place from Tuesday 3 November to Thursday 5 November at ExCeL London.
