Egypt has always attracted a lot of tourism and welcomed 15.78 million visitors in 2024. It smashed that record in 2025, with another 21 per cent surge in numbers. Seeing the pyramids is a bucket list item for many people around the world, as there is a widespread fascination with the structures and their history.
Now, tourism growth is likely to boom even more thanks to the new Grand Egyptian Museum. It’s the world’s largest archaeological museum and aims to make Ancient Egypt more immersive and accessible.
The World’s Largest Archaeological Museum
There has been a lot of anticipation around the Grand Egyptian Museum, which has taken an astonishing two decades to build. It was initially planned in 1992, but construction started in 2005 and finished in 2025. The fact that it took so long to construct gives an idea of its incredible scale, and it is now officially the world’s largest archaeological museum dedicated to a single civilisation.
There are tens of thousands of artefacts spanning thousands of years within the museum, from the earliest dynasties to the later periods of Ancient Egyptian history. The site is most famous for having the complete collection of Tutankhamun’s treasures displayed together for the first time, including the iconic gold mask of the legendary historical figure.
Ancient Egyptian Entertainment Could Encourage More People to Travel to the Source
Part of the appeal of Egypt as a tourist destination is down to the fact that Ancient Egypt has been so prevalent in popular culture over the years. Indeed, since the early days of cinema, filmmakers have been making movies about the fascinating era. The Mummy in 1932 led to a sprawling franchise, and Cleopatra in 1963 is one of the best-known historical epics ever made.
The iconic civilisation has also been ever-present in gaming over the years, with some of the best games ever set in Ancient Egypt. Assassin’s Creed Origins is often cited as one of the best in the series, while Eye of Horus Megaways is up there with the most popular Megaways casino games. With all these diverse offerings in different areas of entertainment, it’s easier than ever for people to develop an interest in Ancient Egypt. After discovering the era, many people want to travel to the source to see the history firsthand.
Making Ancient Egypt More Immersive and Accessible
The creators of the Grand Egyptian Museum have clearly considered the widespread popularity of Ancient Egyptian storytelling throughout entertainment and have tried to capture this in the design.
The exhibits in the museum aim to immerse viewers in the era and give them a true taste of what life was like in those times. Through the use of technology like augmented and virtual reality, many of the displays are brought to life in ways that weren’t possible even a few years ago. Now, visitors can experience the feeling that they have travelled back in time to be with the pharaohs.
If you’ve been thinking about booking a trip to Egypt, there’s arguably never been no better time than now. The Grand Egyptian Museum is an incredible feat, and one that will surely boost Egypt’s tourism figures greatly.