In 2023, travel and tourism contributed eight percent to Egypt's gross domestic product (GDP). The share increased compared to 2020. However, it declined notably from 8.5 percent in 2019, reflecting the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the sector. Furthermore, the contribution of tourism to GDP is estimated to reach 8.1 percent in 2024.

In 2023, travel and tourism directly contributed over 2.5 million jobs to the Egyptian economy. Compared to the previous year, this was an increase from nearly 2.4 million jobs. Moreover, the contribution of travel and tourism to employment peaked in 2023. The total number of jobs in travel and tourism was estimated to increase to 2.67 million in 2024.

Seychelles had the largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in Africa as of 2024. The value amounted to 21,630 U.S. dollars. Mauritius followed with around 12,330 U.S. dollars, whereas Gabon registered 8,840 U.S. dollars. GDP per capita is calculated by dividing a country’s GDP by its population, meaning that some of the largest economies are not ranked within the leading ten. Impact of COVID-19 on North Africa’s GDP When looking at the GDP growth rate in Africa in 2024, Libya had the largest estimated growth in Northern Africa, a value of 7.8 percent compared to the previous year. Niger and Senegal were at the top of the list with rates of 10.4 percent and 8.3 percent, respectively. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact on the economy was severe. The growth of the North African real GDP was estimated at minus 1.1 percent in 2020. However, estimations for 2022 looked much brighter, as it was set that the region would see a GDP growth of six percent, compared to four percent in 2021.
Contribution of Tourism Various countries in Africa are dependent on tourism, contributing to the economy. In 2023, travel and tourism were estimated to contribute 182.6 billion U.S. dollars, a clear increase from 96.5 in 2020 following COVID-19. As of 2024, South Africa, Mauritius, and Egypt led tourism in the continent according to the Travel & Tourism Development Index.