Analyzing Sustainable Tourism Strategies for Egypt's Sector

This report delves into the concept of sustainable tourism, emphasizing its positive societal, economic, and environmental impacts, particularly within the context of Egypt's tourism sector. The report highlights the importance of preserving natural resources, cultural heritage, and involving local communities for long-term industry survival. Focusing on Egypt, the report examines the country's key tourism attractions, such as the Red Sea coast and South Sinai, while addressing environmental challenges like waste management and marine life protection. It emphasizes the need for eco-friendly practices, government initiatives, and public awareness campaigns to promote sustainable tourism. Furthermore, the report discusses control measures, including ecotourism development, environmental impact assessments, and the integration of local communities, to ensure the preservation of Egypt's natural and cultural heritage while fostering economic growth and employment opportunities. It underscores the significance of responsible tourism practices to minimize environmental degradation and maximize the benefits for both tourists and local communities.

Running head: TOURISM SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainable Tourism
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

“Methods of attaining sustainability in the Tourism sector of Egypt by taking into
consideration the development of societal, economic and environmental aspect”
Sustainable tourism basically is the concept of visiting in any tourist spot trying to have
positive and healthy impacts on the society, economy and the environment. Tourism is one of the
very important sectors among all the other hospitality sectors. This is because from tourism, a
large number of other services get benefited as well (Lahham 2016). Some of these services are
like transportation and hospitality services. It is seen in the present day context that a large
amount of efforts are being made to develop sustainable tourism. In other words, functions like
responsible tourism or ecological tourism are being developed at different places. This is mainly
done in order to ensure that there is no harmful effect created on any natural resources located in
and around the tourist destination spot.

Figure1: sustainable tourism
(Source: Google Images)

Sustainable tourism,
Sustainable tourism is focused at the protection and the preservation of the natural flora
and fauna located in and around the tourist spot, by conserving the local cultural heritage. This is
also aimed at involving more and more local people into the process of tourism, so that they can
have ample employment opportunities. A sustainable planning is needed so that the entire
industry as a whole can survive properly in the long run. The chosen country over here is Egypt
and the main aim of the paper will be to see how it can be ensured that there is sustainable
development of tourism in Egypt.
Figure2: sustainable tourism
(Source: Google Images)

Tourism in Egypt
The main aim of the tourism board of Egypt is to expand their tourism sector as a nature based
tourism. Hence, it is evident that they want to ensure the fact that there must not be any harm
caused to any of the natural elements due to any tourism related activities. The two major
attractions of this place are the Red Sea coast and the rich sea life of the South Sinai. These two
are the major attraction sites for scuba diving. Hence, it is a very obvious fact that every year a
large number of tourists will be coming to stay and enjoy the scuba diving and several other
water sports here. As more number of tourists will come to come to stay here, there can be
increased chances of garbage dumping. It is a common site that one finds very easily nowadays,
are the senseless activities of the tourists in and around the hotels. They often throw several
plastic bags and garbage in and around their hotel rooms. Apart from this, another very common
site that is seen in a sea side region is the indiscriminate throwing of plastic bags, plastic straws,
and several other forms of garbage. This is a highly senseless activity on part of the tourists. This
not only renders the sea filled with dust and dirt but also harms the marine life a great deal.
Hence efforts must be made to put a strict check on these senseless activities of the tourists. No
tourist must be allowed to throw any plastic materials into the sea. Apart from this, there must be
a team of deep sea divers appointed who would regularly keep a check if any plastic materials
are being dumped into the sea by the visitors.

Figure3: sustainable tourism
(Source: Google Images)
However, pone has to keep in mind that sustainability cannot be achieved only by
maintaining the cleanliness of the environment. Efforts must also be made to maintain the other
core factors needed for sustainable development like equity, health, security etc. It is a common
feature that their natives or the tribes are often suffering from a feeling of phobia with the advent
of new tourists into their land. Hence, the Government and the tourism planning board must
make sure to bring the natives into the mainstream business. Efforts must also be made for their

upliftment as the natives form a very important part of ecotourism. They are the ones who can
contribute to the cultural development. There must also be thorough cleaning done in order to see
and ensure that no garbage is being dumped into the sea bed. Apart from this the tourism board
must also ensure that the tourists use only eco friendly bags or bags made from cloth instead of
plastics. No oil spills must take place in the sea. In other words, there must not be any dumping
of harmful chemicals like petroleum and natural gas into the sea. There is often the disposal of
tons and barrels of harmful oil and chemicals in to the sea. Apart from these, the visitors
consume a huge amount drinks while they are on the sea beach. These drinks are usually stored
in plastic bottles or in plastic cans (Shaalan 2005). On being dumped into the sea they can cause
huge harm to the marine life and in turn to the mankind as well. Hence there has to be a very
strong check on this particular activity of the visitors.

Figure4: sustainable tourism
(Source: Google Images)
In order to accommodate such a large number of tourists, a large number of hotels are
also being constructed. However, it is all the more essential at this stage, for the Government and
the Tourism planning board, to develop and implement the sustainability concepts to avoid the
degeneration of the natural heritage of Egypt in the present and the future days as well. As a
large number of tourists visit the red sea coast every year, bringing in a huge amount of foreign

exchange. But it must be ensured that there are sufficient amount of natural reserves located in
order to protect the wildlife species so that no harm is caused to them by any of the tourist
activities. This can be done by setting up a wide range of public meetings, campaigns, seminars
and several other such public awareness programs that would help the tourists to know the
importance of creating and maintaining the sustainable development in the tourism sector of
Egypt. One of the most important steps that can be taken to ensure sustainable tourism in Egypt
is to develop ecotourism (Mostafa 2014).
Efforts by Government and Tourism planning board
This can be done by making a thorough survey before setting up any new tourist
attractions in any part of Egypt. The survey must show the exact number of plants and animals
that are falling in or around the area where the tourist spot is to be constructed. The important
point that must be taken under consideration is to see that there is no deforestation. Even if some
trees or green vegetation needs to be uprooted for the construction of any tourist spots or any
hotels, then it must be ensured that proper technologies are used to re plant those trees
somewhere else. The tourism board and the Government must be liberal and conscious enough to
procure the modern scientific tools and implements like the tree location machines that would
unearth the trees without damaging them and then replant them in other areas (Lahham 2016).
This indeed will serve twofold advantages. On one hand it will help towards the development of
the tourist sectors and on the other hand, there will also be no harm caused to the natural
environment as well.

Figure5: sustainable tourism
(Source: Google Images)
Control measures for achieving sustainability in Egypt
Apart from these facts, the one important thing that needs to be kept in mind is that Egypt
is basically a desert region and in order to develop a proper tourism in such place, the tourism
panning board and the government as to make some very special arrangements (Lahham 2016).
As this is a region of extreme climatic condition, the natural resources are already present in a

limited amount and hence need to be properly protected. Leave no trace policy must be used in
order to ensure that proper care is taken towards the natural flora and fauna. This leave no trace
policy will enable the proper waste disposal, vegetation and forest conservation, wildlife
management etc (Fakoussa and CollinS 2017). As Egypt is a land of extreme climatic region, it
is an obvious fact that it will hold a wide range of plants, animals, monuments that are very much
exotic in nature. Hence, all these exotic species of plants and animals must be properly stored in
the wildlife sanctuaries or the national parks and several other such protected areas in order to
make those tourists acquainted with those. Another important step that must be taken by the
tourism board is creating a good platform for uniting the local people with the visitors. This can
be done by creating a local market that will be selling exclusively the handmade materials, which
will be made exclusively by the localities of Egypt. There are many tourists who are totally
unaware with the local Egyptian culture. Apart from this, the tourism board can also make efforts
in conserving the ancient local Egyptian heritage like the ancient temples, castles and other such
monuments. Conserving this rich, cultural heritage and presenting them as a tourist attraction site
will enable to make a huge effort towards the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of
Egypt.

Figure6: sustainable tourism
(Source: Google Images)
Apart from making investment only in controlling the factors that can cause
environmental pollution, the Government must make efforts to increase the condition oif the
SMEs, diversifying the remote and regional sectors, making the local people open up to the
mainstream industry. This in turn will increase the employment opportunities. This will help in
increasing the sustainability of the local people who often live below the poverty lines.
Sustainable tourism also must include these factors since it is the most labor intensive field and
must generate a huge amount of employment opportunities as well. In order to make the tourism

sustainable, there must be the joint effort of the tourism board, the Government and the local
people as well.
In order to ensure a sustainable tourism development in Egypt, the tourism planning
board must make sure that each and every hotels of any other such hospitality constructions
going on in Egypt have a proper EIA or environment impact assessment plan. This will help in
minimizing all those activities that would otherwise have caused great harm to the natural flora
and fauna. In such desert areas, a huge amount of pollution is caused to the soil, owing to the
construction of hotels. As the soil in those areas is not very strong, hence such large scale
constructions can have very major harmful impacts and can create soil erosion. Hence, efforts
must be taken to build the hotels only after proper having a proper environment management
plan. (Hassan 2015).
As slight changes in the air, water and soil and also the natural environment can cause
huge amount of harmful impacts on the environment, proper efforts are to be taken. The natural
resources are already present in very limited amounts in the desert regions. As a result of which
if these natural resources are harmed, it would be a great problem to supply them once again. A
major problem that one face s in the desert regions is that of the availability of clean water.
Hence, there must be proper arrangements made so that the water resources can properly be
conserved and used. Proper restrictions have to be imposed on the tourist activities so that there
is no indiscriminate or uncontrolled usage of water. The tourism board must make sure that there
is proper water drainage systems created and maintained everywhere. The visitors must also be
educated and made aware about the proper ways of using the water resources.

Many tourists often enjoy the activities like poaching or animal hunting. However, efforts
are to be made in order to see that the tourists are never allowed kill the wild animals just for
their mere entertainment and fun (Meyer 2010). In order to do this, the tourism board must at
first carry on proper identification and recognition of the areas where the wild animals are prone
to danger. It is only after the proper identification that these zones or areas cab be listed under
the protected zones and kept under special check and security. If needed, there must be a strict
refusal on the entry of tourists in such protected regions. It is only after abiding by all these
conditions that the tourism in Egypt can be made successful.

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