Egyptian officials are hoping the inauguration of a vast new museum on Saturday will accelerate the revival of a tourism industry hampered for more than a decade by internal upheaval, a pandemic, and regional conflicts.
Officials believe the Grand Egyptian Museum, or GEM, alone could draw as many as 7 million additional visitors annually after it opens on Saturday, helping boost total visitors to around 30 million by 2030.
Overlooking the Giza Pyramids, the 500,000-square-meter edifice will house tens of thousands of artefacts, including what is billed as the complete collection of the treasures of boy-king Tutankhamun, many displayed for the first time.
The new space includes immersive exhibits and virtual-reality devices.
Egypt, which has needed repeated bailouts to stabilise its economy, uses the foreign currency it collects from tourism to pay for crucial imports such as fuel and wheat.
Last year, the country drew 15.7 million visitors who spent a record $15 billion, according to official figures.
Tourism had collapsed to a low of $3.8 billion in 2015/16, after Egypt’s 2011 uprising.
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