Egypt appointed Premier Partner for WTM London 2026 | News
World Travel Market (WTM) Londonthe world’s most influential travel event, the Egyptian Tourism Authority has announced as its Premier Partner for 2026.
Following the exclusive launch of Ramses and the Pharaoh’s Gold: The Exhibition, an official signing ceremony took place in Neon at Battersea Power Station on Thursday 26 February. The partnership was formally confirmed by 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.
Egypt has been a long-standing partner of WTM London and has been present at every event since the first WTM London in 1980.
In recent years the authority has significantly strengthened its presence at WTM London. Stand space grew by more than 20% between 2023 and 2024, followed by a further increase of more than 50% in 2025. In total, this represents a growth of almost 90% since 2023, with the 2025 stand welcoming around 90 co-exhibitors, underscoring the growing importance of the event as a platform for industry collaboration and engagement.
Negotiations are ongoing for an even larger presence by 2026. WTM London also welcomes a growing number of travel suppliers exhibiting independently of the tourism authority. For example, last year national airline EgyptAir had its own stand, with a number of hotel chains, resorts and destination management companies also present on the show floor.
Egypt’s growing presence at WTM London and its Premier Partner status reflect the country’s commitment to its tourism sector and build on other successful initiatives to increase the number of inbound tourists. In 2025, the government confirmed it welcomed almost 19 million international visitors, an increase of 21% from 2024 and well above the global growth rate of 5%.
It added that Egypt was served by flights from almost 200 cities around the world, underscoring Egypt’s global appeal.
Looking ahead, authorities aim to reach 30 million tourists by 2031. The WTM Global Travel Report 2025, in collaboration with Tourism Economics, forecast a 27% increase in inbound tourism spending between now and 2030.
Ahmed Youssef, CEO of the Egyptian Tourist Authoritysaid: “WTM London has been instrumental in helping Egypt become one of the world’s most popular outbound leisure destinations. We plan 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 traveler types.”
Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathi, 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 ‘Egypt – Unparalleled Diversity’ vision, which highlights the extraordinary breadth of experiences our country has to offer. Building on the strong growth momentum we achieved in 2025, we remain fully committed to expanding of our international presence and strengthening partnerships in key markets.
The Minister stressed the importance of signing this agreement on the occasion of the opening of Ramses and the Pharaoh’s Gold: The Exhibition in London, and emphasized the importance of a strong international presence and strategic partnerships in promoting Egypt’s global tourism positioning.”
Chris Carter-Chapman, Event Director, WTM London, said: “We are delighted to have secured the Egyptian Tourism Authority as our Premier Partner for 2026 so early in the planning cycle. We look forward to working with them in the coming months as they look to achieve their growth targets and propel them towards their target of 30 million arrivals by 2031.”
WTM London 2026 takes place from Tuesday 3 November to Thursday 5 November at Excel London.
