© 2004 The Reef eXplorers Network™ (R.E.N.) DiveNews.Com NEWS @ DEPTH - Current & Wet Events™ Red Sea Making Waves in Egypt Articles / The NEWS @ DEPTH Date: Monday, June 19, 2006 AD - 05:55 PM Just when you thought Egypt was close to the saturation point for attracting overseas tourists, fresh developments on the southern Red Sea coast are gearing up to draw even greater numbers. Port Ghalib, an integrated port and resort community being built on 18 kilometers of pristine Red Sea coastline some 220 kilometers south of Hurghada, is moving from blueprint to reality as marketing efforts begin in earnest on the first batch of prime residential units later this month. This Sun resort will sit alongside Port Ghalib’s Corniche and Khan area in the heart of the Port Ghalib International Marina. Already in operation is the Port Ghalib Coral Beach Diving Hotel, a dedicated diving resort that opened in September 2005. This hotel with its quay-side location in the Port Ghalib marina is already becoming a favorite destination of European and regional divers... With three of the top ten dive sites in the world within easy reach from Port Ghalib – the Brothers Islands, Daedalus Reef, and Rocky Island – and some of best dolphin observing waters on earth, Port Ghalib is becoming the diving capital of the south Red Sea. New York- based Ayden Nour, the Egyptian TourismAuthority's Chairman for North America, believes the deep south appeals most to the European market, which updates its destination choices constantly. "Sharm El Sheikh has become very crowded and populated. Tour operators in Europe now request something new. Marsa Alam is a piece of cake to sell to their market as new and unheard of destinations usually get a good response from operator target audiences." More challenging, however, is selling the resort destination to North American travelers. They won't travel 10 hours to go for sun, sand and sea - preferring instead classic historical packages. "Recently, however, we have included a night or two in Marsa Alam, instead of Hurghada and Sharm, in some programs," Nour said, adding that travel agents are still experimenting. While the deep south Red Sea operators are focusing their efforts on attracting European tourists, unfortunate events have reminded them of the fragile nature of the business. Ahmed Balbaa, Chairman and CEO of Balbaa Group, whose Kahramana Village Hotel lies 30 minutes south from Port Ghalib in Marsa Alam City, said business slowed down after Italians stopped coming following the Sharm bombing and a recession in Italy. Ecological challenges are also a concern. Environmentalists stress that the delicate ecosystems of the deep south's coral reefs could be at risk unless adequate measures are taken to protect them from the onslaught of tourism. The Egyptian Environmental Affairs agency (EEAA) has responded by installing Shamandouras, buoys that act as fixed mooring points, on coral reefs in the spectacular Samaday Reefs region near Marsa Alam to protect the reefs from anchor damage. The environmental awareness unit of Red Sea National Parks gave all diving centers and tourist villages based in Hurghada and Safaga, specific instructions in connection with responsible diving in the area of the Samaday reefs, to protect marine life," says Hesham Kamel, General Manager of Red Sea Diving Safari. He added that an $11.4 million program financed by an Italian grant and under the supervision of the EEAA and the UNDP was supporting work to protect sensitive marine ecosystems in the area. Work is also continuing on Port Ghalib's international marina, Egypt's first official private sea port of entry. Upon completion in 2007, the 3,300-meter quay, 1,000-berth marina will put the harbor master, customs and immigrations control under one roof so that clearance can be reduced to 20 minutes - hard to beat at any port in Egypt. To learn more, read Hazel Heyer's complete story at: Red Sea Making Waves in Egypt Source: Travel Press This article comes from DiveNews.Com http://www.divenews.com/ The URL for this story is: http://www.divenews.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=4628