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BRIDGING THE GULF
Even before the Israeli offensive in Lebanon, 2006 was shaping
up to be a promising year for Arab tourism to Egypt. By June, visitors
from Arab countries were up 15 percent with several countries reporting
double-digit growth. Tourism officials attribute the increase to
successful marketing and an increase in airline capacity. This would
seem reasonable enough. Tourism initiatives such as the “Nawwart
Masr” (You Light Up Egypt) campaign, launched last December,
have targeted Gulf markets with television and print media extending
a warm welcome to Arab visitors. Meanwhile, EgyptAir has increased
its scheduled service to Arab cities, while Gulf carriers have added
new routes to Egypt. By combining efforts to increase demand with
improved accessibility, the stage was set for a record year.
Regional instability sealed it. The war in Lebanon, which coincided
with the peak summer Gulf tourism season, forced many Gulf Arab
tourists to detour to other destinations, including Egypt. While
the figures are not yet in, an unscientific survey of the major
Cairo hotels demonstrates a spike in year-on-year Arab tourism.
One Cairo hotel was awash with Arab vacationers who said they previously
spent the summer months in Beirut but were forced to find a new
vacation spot.
But the Gulf is not just sending us tourists; it’s investing
in Egypt’s tourism infrastructure. Kuwait’s M.A. Kharafi
Group has already committed to building ports, airports and entire
communities along Egypt’s Red Sea coast. Now Dubai-based Emaar
Properties is formulating plans to develop the Mediterranean coast.
Last month, the real estate developer won a hotly contested swath
of prime beachfront property near Sidi Abdel Rahman and said it
would spend LE 10 billion developing the land into an international
tourist village.
Emaar’s blueprints look surprisingly modest in light of Dubai’s
penchant for glitzy, and often absurd, tourism development. After
all, this is the tiny emirate that tossed billions into indoor skiing
centers, Fantasia-esque tourist hotels and artificial islands that
appear in the shape of the world when viewed from space.
One thing is certain: there is more capital in waiting. Gulf investors
are eyeing Egypt’s relatively undeveloped (or perhaps improperly
developed) tourism sector and seeing opportunities. Expect the glitz
to soon follow.
CAM MCGRATH
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