Ask The Expert Mahmoud El-Kaissouni, chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Federation’s Ecotourism Committee, on ecotourism in Egypt    By   Amira Salah-Ahmed

A: Egypt covers just over a million square kilometers in area, but for the past three centuries, travelers have been visiting just six percent of this land. That aspect of its history has been thoroughly documented in novels and historical chronicles.

Ahmed Nemr El-Kaissouni says ecotourism is set to take off in Egypt.

Many people were under the impression that the other 94 percent of Egypt is a hostile and lifeless wasteland — an opinion that has since proven to be utterly wrong. Egypt is blessed with three fantastic deserts: the Sinai Desert, the Eastern Desert, and the Western Desert. Each has its own character, indigenous peoples, history and myths.

Since 1987, and with the development of ecotourism, travelers can now explore and enjoy the ‘other’ Egypt. To cater to this thriving industry, we are building more eco-lodges as well as maintaining and preserving our natural protectorates, expected to number 40 by 2017.

This other side of Egypt’s heritage features abundant natural treasures, which we continue to discover day by day, confirming that ecotourism is indeed Egypt’s future.

A: Since 1997, we have been the most active of the Egyptian Tourism Federation’s (ETF) committees. Every year, we hold more than 14 meetings with top environmentalists, cabinet ministers, scientists, and ecotourism professionals. Among other things, we helped in saving Siwa Oasis from an environmental and cultural disaster. We also campaigned for a crackdown on illegal hunting in Egypt, and took steps to protect Lake Nasser, Egypt’s primary water reservoir.

I’ve also published several articles in leading Egyptian dailies on pressing environmental issues, and this proved to be a very effective approach. For example, through a successful campaign backed by Egyptian civil society, we managed to stop the selling of the Red Sea’s protected Giftun Island, and to save the Spinner dolphins of the Gulf of Samadi. Currently, we’re focusing on saving the Petrified Forest protectorate east of Cairo, as there have been attempts to initiate urban development projects in the area.

We’re also campaigning for the rebuilding of Egypt’s Natural History Museum, which was torn down 25 years ago to make way for the subway and transferred to an unsuitable location south of the capital. Additionally, we’re working on protecting the location of the Stromer’s Tidal Giant dinosaur in Bahariya Oasis, where farmers are trying to use the land for agricultural purposes.

A: Regarding the desert tours, it’s the numerous bureaucratic obstacles and procedures. However, these are problems that tourists do not experience, as they are generally taken care of before their arrival and the beginning of their program. Regardless, we’ve lately managed to reduce the procedures involved and this saves a lot of time. As for the diving centers, there are no negative restrictions; they generally operate in accordance with international standards and regulations. There’s no problem there, which explains, in part, the noticeable increase in the number of tourist divers.

A: In terms of desert tours, in some cases, we feel tighter restrictions need to be implemented, as it’s been confirmed through the years that parts of the natural treasures scattered throughout our deserts have vanished. Some were caught at the airport, but most were illegally exported. We’re trying to reach a middle ground, and certainly, most of the ecotourists are responsible and conscientious, and they willingly accept these restrictions. As for diving, the restrictions are minimal, sufficient to prevent environmental damage, while allowing the divers a great degree of freedom and comfort.

A: Yes, the flow of visitors to protected areas is generally monitored to ensure compliance with the area’s regulations, and to facilitate protection of Egypt’s natural treasures. But, unfortunately, some illegal guides manage to enter these areas through ‘back doors,’ causing significant damage to the area. As long as the guidelines of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency are respected, there should be no negative impacts on ecotourism.

A: Without the cooperation of the media, we wouldn’t have achieved much of what we’ve accomplished for the benefit of the Egyptian environment and ecotourism. We believe it is vital for us to support and assist local and international media in covering Egypt’s natural heritage, as media coverage is an asset in promoting greater knowledge and awareness of these wonders throughout the world. On several occasions, we worked with top officials to overcome the bureaucratic obstacles facing international television crews in their efforts to record Egypt’s natural wonders. We’ve also organized several deep desert tours for groups of local journalists, taking them to locations that had never before been visited by the media.

For the past year and a half, we have been producing a weekly half-hour program entitled Misr Ard Al Jamal (Egypt the Land of Beauty), in cooperation with Egyptian satellite television. Through this ongoing program, we’ve introduced most of Egypt’s protected areas, ecotourism activities, eco-lodges and the indigenous tribes of the three deserts to our growing audience.

A: Since 2002, we’ve had an agreement with the Search and Rescue Center and several successful missions have been recorded in that time span. We are currently trying to cover all tourist activities in Egypt with this service, whether it takes place in the deserts, in the seas or on the Nile. It is important to note that the Red Sea is blessed with several private search and rescue centers. These are an asset and contribute effectively to rescue operations conducted by the Armed Forces.

A: Currently, the alert is first received by the ETF and relayed to the Search and Rescue Center, who immediately initiate the air or sea rescue operation. The Search and Rescue teams are composed of highly trained professionals, and are equipped with the latest equipment including top-of-the-line GPS systems and satellite phones. Some tourism companies have already signed contracts with the Center, which speeds up reaction time, and consequently, we are encouraging this approach.

A: Right now, we’re working with the Ministry of the Environment and the Prime Minister’s office to protect and promote the Valley of the Whales in the wake of the international declaration [naming it a UNESCO World Heritage site]. We are also encouraging investors to build eco-lodges in protected areas such as the Red Sea’s Wadi El-Gemal, and Qarit Umm Al-Sagheer, north of Siwa, as well as negotiating with government authorities to reduce the bureaucratic restrictions on deep desert tours and safaris.

The Ecotourism Committee can be contacted via the Egyptian Tourism Federation’s e-mail address eftc@commnet.com.eg or by phone at +2 (02) 760-8487/748-3313. tt

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