Tourism development and environmental protection in southern Sinai

Abstract

Some 90% of Egypt’s tourism investment is now concentrated in the coastal resorts of southern Sinai, with a product portfolio centered on dive tourism and beach holidays around the Red Sea and Gulf of Aquaba. The region is one of the fastest-growing resort areas in the world, causing concerns to be expressed for its fragile desert hinterland and offshore coral reefs. More than 3 million annual visitors are expected by early in the next millenium. The Egyptian government has established a network of Protected Areas in Sinai, partly funded by tourism, but it seems unlikely that they will be sufficient to prevent severe environmental damage. Sinai is also being targeted for rapid population growth by relocation, as well as massive increases in resort development, partly to provide a fresh focus for Egyptian tourism at some distance from the Islamic fundamentalist problems of the Nile valley and partly to prevent any re-settlement by Israel. Particular concerns are expressed about the future of the spectacular 6th century fortified monastery of St. Katherine at the foot of Mount Sinai which is the region’s major cultural attraction. The monastery currently receives 97,000 visitors/year, mainly day trip visitors from the coastal resorts who stay less than half an hour. This represents a 300% increase in the last decade, projected to increase by a further 500% by 2017. The future of both the monastery and the surrounding desert relies on the ability of the Protected Area legislation to manage rapid increases in tourism and indigenous population to avoid even more serious environmental damage.