Giza Governorate
Egypt's $51 million Pyramids renovation opens July 2025—targeting 30 million tourists by 2030 while deploying replicas and electric buses to prevent the crowds from destroying what they came to see.
Giza Governorate operates as Egypt's archaeological treasury and tourism bottleneck. The Pyramids development project—$51 million through Orascom Pyramids Entertainment—completed 100% and entered trial operation by December 2024. The renovated plateau will officially open July 3, 2025 alongside the Grand Egyptian Museum, designed to absorb visitors that the degrading tombs cannot sustainably receive.
Egypt attracted 15.7 million tourists in 2024, generating $15.3 billion in revenue. Tourism contributes 10% of GDP, creating national dependency on sites Giza controls. The government targets 30 million tourists by 2030; Fitch Solutions projects $17.5 billion revenue by 2025, rising to $97 billion cumulative through 2029.
Yet Giza demonstrates tourism's paradox: success degrades the asset. TikTok and Instagram amplify visitor complaints—harassment, scams, malnourished animals. Carbon dioxide, friction, and humidity from crowds damage reliefs and paintings. The Department of Antiquities installed dehumidifiers, glass screens, and rotation systems. A $2 million Tutankhamun tomb replica (Factum Arte, 2014) attempts to redirect visitors from the deteriorating original.
Giza's transformation includes 45 electric buses running every five minutes, new access via Cairo-Fayum road, improved animal welfare programs, and enhanced online ticketing. Whether these interventions preserve authenticity while scaling access will determine Egyptian tourism's sustainable capacity.