Egypt’s Cabinet has pushed back against widely shared claims that Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the country was losing $600 million a day in tourism revenue, calling the reports inaccurate and taken out of context.

In a statement issued by the Cabinet’s Media Center, officials described the viral posts as “misleading", stressing that the figure “referred to estimated losses across the wider region, not Egypt specifically.”

Citing data from the World Travel and Tourism Council, Madbouly pointed to estimates that the Middle East’s tourism sector is collectively losing around $600 million per day. These losses, he noted, stem from flight cancellations and a sharp decline in travel demand affecting the region as a whole.

What was falsely reported

Social media posts and some online platforms claimed that Egypt alone was hemorrhaging $600 million daily due to a “global crisis,” framing the statement as a direct assessment of the country’s tourism sector. The Cabinet says this interpretation exaggerates the situation, potentially causing unnecessary alarm.

While officials did not tie the figure to a single event, the broader downturn referenced reflects overlapping global pressures that have weighed on tourism in recent years.

These include regional geopolitical tensions—particularly conflicts in the Middle East that have disrupted air travel routes—alongside lingering effects from pandemic-era travel slowdowns and economic uncertainty impacting consumer spending worldwide.

The Cabinet Media Center urged the public to rely on official statements and verified sources, warning against the rapid spread of unverified claims online.

Officials emphasised that misreporting of economic indicators—especially in key sectors like tourism—can distort public understanding and investor confidence.