Sharm El-Sheikh's transformation from fishing village to tourism hotspot
Egypt's ancient history and significant contribution to world civilisation has meant that it has fascinated travellers for centuries and today, Cairo and the Nile Delta still remain popular with tourists who want to learn more about its fascinating past. Since the 1980s, however, Egypt has also adapted to meet the needs of the modern tourism market, specifically the demand for all-inclusive beach resort holidays from northern Europeans with money to spend. Perhaps the most successful example of this is the Red Sea town of Sharm El-Sheikh, a former fishing village that now boasts some of the region's busiest resorts and best diving spots.
The story of Sharm El-Sheikh's transformation is a fascinating one that inevitably ties into the volatile political disputes that characterise the modern Middle East. Sharm El-Sheikh is located in the Sinai, an area of land that has changed hands between Egypt and Israel twice in the last 60 years. In the 1970s, Israeli initiatives built the first tourism facilities in the region, including the town of Ofira and accommodation and diving clubs at Naama Bay, now a major base for tourists in the area. When a 1979 peace agreement saw the Sinai change from Israeli to Egyptian hands once more, the Egyptian government continued the tourist development of the region.
Since then, Sharm El-Sheikh has grown into a city and now encompasses a metropolitan area, which includes Naama Bay, Shark's Bay and other neighbouring areas with a tourism focus. One of the most popular activities in the area is diving, thanks to the proximity of highly rated diving sites. For example, Ras Mohammed is extremely popular with underwater tourists in the area, offering unique opportunities to see Red Sea reef fish and plants in their natural habitat. Wreck diving is also a popular pastime with visitors to Sharm and the famous sunken British Merchant Navy vessel, the SS Thistlegorm, is easily reachable from its shores.
Sharm El-Sheikh holidays certainly look like they will remain popular with travellers, thanks to the location's excellent facilities and attractive watersports offerings. And with tourism development expected to occupy around 50 per cent of its municipal area by 2017, it looks likely to enjoy plenty of success with both diving enthusiasts and casual holidaymakers for years to come.
Disclaimer: The information contained within this article is the opinion of the author and is intended purely for information and interest purposes only. It should not be used to make any decisions or take any actions. Any links are included for information purposes only.
About the Author
Isla is a part of the digital blogging team at digitalcrosstalk.com who work with brands like British Airways. For more information about me, or to keep up to date with the latest in travel news, check out my posts at digitalcrosstalk.com or visit my Twitter account, @dcrosstalk
Diving Red Sea Sharm El Sheikh Egypt & Music by Tiffany Lunn
[simpleaffiliate source="amazon" results="10"]red sea diving sharm el sheikh[/simpleaffiliate]
[simpleaffiliate source="clickbank" results="5"]red sea diving sharm el sheikh[/simpleaffiliate]
No comments:
Post a Comment