Egypt: Tourism withstands regional tensions [Business Africa]

 

Egyptian tourism continues its strong growth, reaffirming its essential role in the country's economy. In 2025, Egypt welcomed nearly 19 million visitors, a 21% increase compared to 2024. Tourism revenues reached €14.17 billion, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by more than 20%.

This growth represents a remarkable recovery after the decline recorded in 2020, a year in which the sector's revenues fell to 3.85 billion euros, compared to 11.6 billion euros in 2019. Since then, Egyptian tourism has returned to strong growth.

Authorities anticipate continued growth in 2026, with projected increases of 5% to 7% in both visitor numbers and revenue. This momentum is primarily driven by the growth in air traffic, with a 32% increase in charter flights, as well as the emergence of new tourist destinations such as El Alamein.

Egypt is also seeking to diversify its tourism offerings by developing cultural tourism, beach tourism, ecotourism, and wellness tourism. Destinations like Siwa and the northern coast are attracting a growing number of visitors.

To support this expansion, the country is investing in its infrastructure: more than 200,000 new hotel rooms are planned and Egyptian airports are expected to handle more than 50 million passengers by 2025, including approximately 31 million in Cairo.

Despite the unstable regional geopolitical context, tourism remains a strategic economic pillar for Egypt.

ECOWAS: Cohesion at Stake

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is going through a delicate phase. Following the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, which joined the Sahel Alliance, the organization must preserve its unity while managing new internal tensions.

Among the sensitive issues is the maritime dispute between Ghana and Togo. Accra resorted to international arbitration to resolve its maritime border dispute after years of unsuccessful negotiations. Lomé, on the other hand, favors a peaceful solution.

Another source of tension is a border incident between Guinea and Sierra Leone, linked to allegations of troop infiltration, accusations denied by Freetown.

These tensions arise as Senegal prepares to assume the presidency of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission for the period 2026-2030. Resolving these conflicts will be crucial for the organization's credibility in a rapidly changing West Africa.

Ivory Coast: Papaya challenges cocoa

Ivory Coast, famous for its cocoa, a pillar of its economy, is seeing the emergence of a promising new crop: papaya. More and more producers are turning to this fruit, attracted by its faster yields and more stable incomes. But to fully develop this sector, post-harvest processing is essential.

For producer Lago Gnoliba, papaya offers numerous advantages. Papaya cultivation begins to produce after about six months, and the harvest can last approximately two and a half years. According to him, developing papaya processing industries would increase added value and strengthen the sector's contribution to the national economy.

Papaya cultivation also appears to be more profitable than cocoa cultivation, the first harvest of which only occurs after four to five years. Market demand is strong and prices are relatively stable.

According to economist Rudolph Falah, cocoa prices have fallen by 40 to 50% between 2020 and 2025. In this context, the papaya sector is gaining momentum and could allow Ivory Coast to become one of the main papaya producers in Africa.

This sector is still developing and faces several challenges, including high costs and logistical constraints. Nevertheless, it already offers significant growth potential for Ivorian agriculture.