TOURISM IN THE SINAI: THE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000763 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2019 TAGS: PGOV SOCI ECON EG SUBJECT: TOURISM IN THE SINAI: THE HAVES AND HAVE NOTS Classified By: Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs Catherine Hill-Herndon for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Key Points -- Tourism revenues, the life blood of South Sinai have dropped 30-40 percent in the last six months due to the global financial crisis. Some are forecasting recovery by fall; others say the downturn could last two years -- South Sinai Governor Mohamed Hany Metwally believes that the governorate's future lies in tourism and he is continuing to invest in the development of the resort cities of Sharm al-Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba Heights. -- The indigenous Bedouin have not benefited financially from the growth of tourism. Desert Safari and Eco-Tourism that could potentially benefit the Bedouin are severely restricted, if not prohibited the Government of Egypt (GOE) for "security concerns." -- Despite 220 kilometers of sand and sea, North Sinai has not focused on developing its tourism industry. Proximity to Gaza and the lack of a peace treaty keep people away from the Mediterranean Sea shore. ¶2. (C) Comment: Tourism is king in South Sinai. The region attracts as many, if not more tourists than the Nile Valley. The city of Sharm al-Sheikh is well-known and hosts global business conventions and international summits. Because of tourism, the South Sinai governorate has one of the highest per capita incomes in Egypt. While the tourist resorts of South Sinai have fueled tremendous economic growth, the indigenous Bedouin have reaped very few of the financial rewards. Most jobs in the tourism industry are filled by Egyptians from the Nile Delta. Desert and eco-tourism, which could benefit the Bedouin population, are restricted, if not prohibited, due to the Egyptian Government's insistence that Bedouin areas are "too dangerous" for tourists. This forces the Bedouin to find other sources of income. Most eke out a meager living through animal husbandry and farming. Some sell handicrafts to tourist shops and a few engage in more lucrative smuggling activities. North Sinai is not focused on developing its tourism industry. We have stayed at the Swiss Inn and Resort in El Arish many times. It was a hub of activity during the Gaza conflict, and businessmen sometimes frequent the hotel. However, we have yet to see anyone on the beach or in the swimming pool. End Comment. ; -------------- Steep Drop in South Sinai Tourism Revenues -------------- ¶3. (SBU) During an April 5-9 trip to Sinai, we spoke with the three managers of resort hotels and the Governor of South Sinai Mohamed Hany Metwally about the effect of the global financial crisis on the South Sinai tourism industry. Amgad El Agamy, manager of the Maritim Royal Peninsula Hotel and Resort told us that overall tourism in Sharm al-Sheikh was down between 25-35 percent depending on the type of tourism. He stated that the three Maritim hotels in Sharm al-Sheikh had all experienced a downturn in business. Revenues at the Maritim hotel in Naama Bay, which caters to beach tourism, was down 15 percent, the Maritim Golf Hotel, which focuses on golf and spa tourism, was down 30 percent, and revenues at the Royal Peninsula, which caters to conventions and meetings, were off 60 percent. He said that Sharm al-Sheikh was suffering because over 40 percent of its tourists come from Russia and the Ukraine, which were hit hard by the global financial crisis. El Agamy anticipated that things would pick up during the summer and the Maritim group was expecting revenues to bounce back to full strength by the fall of 2009. Mohamed Ibrahim, a manager at the Grand Rotana Hotel and Resort, confirmed the 30% downturn, but he told us that Grand Rotana did not anticipate full recovery until ¶2011. ¶4. (SBU) Shaun Wheeler, General Manager of the InterContinental Hotel and Resort in Taba Heights, a new resort complex housing four five-star hotels approximately 15 miles south of the border with Israel, said that tourism in the first quarter of 2009 was off by 40 percent. He said that tourists were experiencing an economic crunch and were looking for three-star hotels as opposed to the upscale five-star hotels. Unlike Sharm al-Sheikh, Taba Heights relies on British and French tourists, which account for 70 percent of the tourist volume. Wheeler told us that unlike other beach resorts in the Sinai, Egyptians do not come to Taba because they it is "too close to Israel." He told us that there are no Egypt Air flights to Taba, and the airport is only served by charter flights. He said that the only growth area for Taba Heights was in the Jordanian tourist market, which accounts for 5-10 percent of all tourism in Taba Heights. ¶5. (SBU) South Sinai Governor General Mohamed Hany Metwally told us on that despite a 30 percent downturn in tourism revenues in South Sinai from December 2008-February 2009, his top economic priority was to continue to develop the tourism industry in the governorate. He stated that 4.7 million people visited Sinai in 2008, and the resort of "Sharm al-Sheikh put Sinai on the world map." The governor recently hired McKinsey Consulting to come up with a plan to develop and improve the tourism sector in South Sinai through 2022. Metwally told us that, in addition to Sharm al-Sheikh, the resort cities of Dahab, Nuweiba, and Taba Heights are key resorts that continue to be developed as part of the governorate's tourism plan. He sees hope that the tourism drought was ebbing as he told us tourism revenues in March 2009 were only off 15 percent year over year. The tourism problem he said was not hotel occupancy, but the lower per capita spending of the tourists. -------------- - Security Concerns Restrict Bedouin Involvement -------------- - ¶6. (C) Ahmed Ibrahim Moussa (protect),the president of the local council in the southern city of al-Tour and a member of the Gararsha Bedouin tribe, told us that Bedouin in the South Sinai are interested in participating in the tourism sector, but foreigners are not permitted in Bedouin areas. Moussa said the GOE mandate that armed guards accompany any eco-tourist group has effectively killed the industry because eco-tourists "want to experience the sights and people, not have a compound mentality." Alaa Hamid (protect),a member of the Nakhl local council in central Sinai and member of the Tayaha Bedouin tribe, acknowledged the potential for "desert tourism," but added that the younger generation needs to be trained to provide tourism services. ¶7. (C) Resort manager El Agamy said that his hotel will provide day trips into the desert to ride camels and have Bedouin dinner shows, but most of the staff members at these shows are from the Nile Valley. He said GOE does not allow overnight camping. InterContinental's Wheeler said that Egyptian security forces do not trust the Bedouin due to their "history of association with Israel." Ironically, Governor Metwally said that the Bedouin were "substantially involved" in tourism as they have bazaars that sell handicrafts. ¶8. (C) Mohamed Abdallah Kotb, Director of the Saint Katherine's Protectorate Area told us that the Jebaliyya Bedouin in the area of the monastery relied on tourism income, but he noted tourism was down substantially in the region. He told us that most of the tourism in the region is religious tourism associated with hiking Jebel Musa (Mount Sinai). He said that average Bedouin family of 6-7 makes approximately 2000 Egyptian pounds (USD 365) per month from tourism. Kotb told us that GOE restrictions on safari tourism angered some of the Bedouin. Kotb said that that the European Union was trying to fund a series of eco-lodges, but the lack of medical services, communications and security concerns was hampering their development. -------------- North Sinai Not Focused on Tourism -------------- ¶9. (C) Sameh Atta (protect),a member of the Fawakhriya Bedouin Council in El Arish, told us that "despite 200 kilometers of sand and sea" in North Sinai, there was no focus on developing the tourism sector. He opined that developing this sector could provide much needed jobs to offset reliance on "illegitimate income." Gamal Selmy (protect),a local councilman and member of the Fawakhriya Bedouin council, stated that the Swiss Inn in El Arish provides tourism industry training to young locals, but he said there are few jobs locally. Both highlighted that one reason for the lack of tourism development in the region was the proximity to Gaza. They opined that if there were a peace treaty, the tourism industry on the Mediterranean coast could be developed. SCOBEY