Gazelles, ibex and co. – ecotourism in Egypt

The Egyptian revolution in 2011 caused tourism in the country to literally grind to a halt. Since last summer there has been a gradual recovery in beach holidays at the Red Sea where the Wadi El Gemal National Park is located. With a surface area of 7,000 square kilometres it is the smallest nature reserve in the Arabian desert, but home to many species of animal including wild camels, the dorcas gazelle and the Nubian ibex. The maritime area of the park boasts manatees, dolphins and marine turtles. Yet a lack of adequate infrastructure means that it remains largely overlooked by tourists.

Introducing ecotourism standards

Using funds from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development's (BMZ) develoPPP.de programme DEG is co-financing an investment aimed at promoting the development of tourism in the Wadi El Gemal National Park based on strict ecotourism standards. As part of this, the visitor centre at the park entrance will be renovated and operated in close cooperation with the national park authority by Veronaland, the Egyptian subsidiary of the Italian tourism company Marsa Alam.

To date tourists were able to move around the park freely without paying an entrance fee, which has already caused degradation to parts of the nature reserve. In future, the national park authority will levy entrance fees, and visitors will be able to discover the area on guided tours and through other activities such as hiking, mountain biking in the desert and observing animals. Veronaland will operate a hotel with 320 employees in the buffer zone of the national park, and will offer various free time activities in the park to its hotel guests.

The approx. 7,000 resident Bedouins will play a part in the activities and provide information on the region's history and culture. Locally produced traditional handicrafts will also be on sale in the visitor centre, creating jobs and income for the national park's neighbouring districts.

DEG targets commitments in tourism that focus on sustainability and responsibility – key factors for financing in this sector.

Further information

Brochure: "Ecotourism in Wadi El Gemal National Park"(PDF, 3 MB, non-accessible)