Egypt: massive green tourism growth at risk

Zero emission resort town: 25 million tourists by 2020: major training programme; 200,000 new jobs: all up for grabs

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Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s newly appointed minister of antiquities, reopened Egypt’s most famous tourist sites on Sunday. Said Dr Hawass “all of the Pharaonic, Coptic, Islamic and modern sites” are now open, in the hopes that “tourists from around the world will soon return to Egypt”.
Egypt, caught at the very beginning of its massive green tourism initiatives is obviously determined to keep it on a roll.

However, the UK Foreign Office continues to advise against “all but essential” travel to all four governorates of Cairo – including Giza, Helwan , Alexandria and Suez.

Last week Wikileaks released excerpts of US diplomatic conversations with Egypt about tourism.
These indicate that Egypt is committed to green tourism to provide the maximum economic growth possible, targeting 25 million tourists by 2020, targeting a tripling of hotel beds on the Med (from 7,000 to 22,000), targeting 200,000 new jobs from tourism, targeting the creation of ‘Zero Emissions Tourism’

Egypt is now committed – but can it keep all of its partners on board?

Valere Tjolle

Valere Tjolle is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite – special offer www.travelmole.com/stories/1146486.php

READ EGYPT TOURISM WIKILEAKS IN DETAIL:

“After a slight decline in 2009 attributed primarily to the global financial crisis, both tourism revenues and arrivals – two key industry benchmarks – are expected to increase on the order of 5-7%- for 2010 . According to the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) Egypt remains on track to reach its long-stated target of 14 million tourist visits annually by 2011 – a number set out in President Mubarak’s 2005 presidential campaign platform. Egypt’s "national tourism plan" targets an annual level of more than 25 million tourists by 2020.”

“Egypt’s Red Sea coastal region should remain the country’s most popular destination for foreign tourists but Zaazou advised that the MoT is looking to the country’s Mediterranean north coast as a key location for new growth opportunities. The area stretching westward from the city of El Alamein (150 miles northwest of Cairo) to the summer resort town of Marsa Matrouh, comprises approximately 300 miles of coastline.”

“MoT is working with real estate developers to triple the number of available hotel rooms in the area, from 7,000 to more than 22,000 in the next 5-10 years. The focus, Zaazou stated, will be on luring European tourists – who make up more than 70% of Egypt’s foreign tourist market. The government is currently upgrading four airports in the north shore area (Alexandria, Marsa Matrouh, El-Alamein, and Borg El Arab) with an eye towards eventually allowing low-cost European airlines to service the area and bypass Cairo.”

Zaazou noted that for every 1 million new tourism visitors, Egypt generates 200,000 new jobs – listing hotels and tourism companies as the most obvious recipients but also pointing out the rise in demand for skilled tradesmen such as electricians, plumbers, and carpenters. He explained that government economic plans call for the creation of 600,000 new jobs annually. If growth continues as expected, tourism could provide one-third of new employment. "The tourism industry should be the main driving force for the economy," Zaazou said.

“MoT plans to introduce what it labels "zero emission tourism" in highly visited tourist destinations, starting with the Sinai city of Sharm el-Sheikh. Zaazou asserted that MoT will seek to lower carbon emission by 90% in Sharm el-Sheikh by 2020 by improving water conservation and sanitary systems, increasing dependency on renewable energy sources, and upgrading the city’s public transportation system. By 2030, MoT predicts that Sharm el-Sheikh will become a zero emissions resort area. Zaazou explained Egypt is seeking an advantage over its Mediterranean neighbors (notably Turkey) and a future emphasis towards "green environment tourism" may provide that edge. If MoT is successful with the Sharm el-Sheikh project, Zaazou indicated that Egypt will expand the program to other areas along the Red Sea coastal area but did not identify any specific locations.”

“In the last two years, MoT has begun comprehensive training for current tourism employees as well as youth seeking employment in the industry. Led by the Ministry-controlled Higher Council for Tourism, the program has initially targeted popular resort areas along the Red Sea Coastal area and will train rank and file employees as well as middle and senior managers – primarily for private Egyptian hotels. MoT is not working with foreign hotels since they maintain their own training programs. Zaazou said the goal is to build an Egyptian managerial class that currently lacks sufficient numbers. Zaazou also couched the need for training as a "social impact force."

Egypt has problems with people holding "radical Islamist views," he confided. Employee training problems present the opportunity to moderate these views, noting that "exposure to new ideas and education" will allow for improved social interactions between Egyptians and foreigners. (Note: According to press accounts, Minister Garana reaffirmed this training commitment at a World Tourism Organization meeting in Spain on February 1, 2010 where he pledged to upgrade national employee training programs."

COMMENT BY US diplomat: "MoT’s projections for tourism arrivals, revenues, and job creation appear overly optimistic given the difficulties faced by the global tourism market. The intense pace of infrastructure development – especially in the country’s north shore – is a major concern if tourism visits do not increase according to MoT’s stated 2020 goal. However, the key element in Zaazou’s overview of MoT’s plans is a newfound commitment to training, a surprising yet welcome development. Contacts in nearly all of the government’s ministries repeatedly discuss Egypt’s desperate need for a skilled managerial class. If MoT is to meet its ambitious targets, it is critical that it develops a well-trained tourism workforce to convince the foreign tourist market to regularly return to Egypt. SCOBEY”