Egypt’s tourism push puts pristine Red Sea beach at risk, say environmentalists

By Mohamed Ezz

RAS HANKORAB (Reuters) - Ras Hankorab Beach, a pristine spot on southern Egypt's Red Sea coast with crystal clear waters and flat white sands, is the jewel of Egypt's Wadi el-Gemal National Park, home to one of the country's last untouched marine ecosystems.

Today, the beach, a 90-minute drive from Marsa Alam international airport, and a four-hour drive from the huge, fast-growing resort of Hurghada, is closed off by a wooden fence, and campaigners are battling to halt its development with, according to the original plans, dozens of accommodation huts, a restaurant and a farm.

Conservationists warn a fragile ecosystem supporting turtles, the coral reef, sea grasses and myriad species of fish is under threat and locals fear losing a precious natural resource forever.

Fighting economic crisis, Egypt has been selling investment licenses in its national parks to developers in the hope of raising income. Projects vary in size and scope.

Tourism is one of the most important pillars of the Egyptian economy. A recent UN Tourism report estimated annual tourism revenue at $14.1 billion in 2024, more than double Suez Canal revenues.

With 17 million visitors in 2024, an annual increase of 17%, Egypt sees potential to boost numbers with more infrastructure, air connectivity and sustainable, coastal and desert-focused holidays. Turkey had 62 million tourists in 2024, Greece 35 million and Dubai 18.7 million.

Environmentalists and local communities warn that even light construction on the beach would destroy one of Egypt’s last untouched marine sanctuaries.

Asmaa Ali, executive director of Ecoris, an Egyptian sustainable development and conservation group, said the national park and beach is one of the world's most important spots for biodiversity.

"It has one of the most precious coral reefs, located at the reserve's beach. It also has sea turtles at risk of extinction, it has mangrove trees," she said.

Sherif Baha el-Din, a co-founder of Wadi el-Gemal national park, said tourists seek unspoiled nature, not concrete resorts.

"The more development on the Red Sea coast, the more important it becomes to leave this small part untouched," he said. "If we must develop, let’s talk about where. But the best thing to build here is nothing at all."

The Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA), an NGO, notes that the reef is so significant because it is one of the world's most tolerant of climate change, and has the potential to repopulate other reefs and even bring back some from extinction.

REVENUE FROM NATIONAL PARKS

Over the past decade, changes to the law have allowed spots within Egypt's national parks to be used for commercial projects. Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad said projects within protected areas including national parks surged from 10 in 2016 to 150 in 2024, with revenue increasing by 1,900%.

Egypt's Environmental Affairs Agency initially offered the operation of Ras Hankorab for tourism use to investors, albeit under strict conditions. However, responsibility has now moved to a government fund, the minister said in a recent presentation on Wadi el-Gemal. She declined to comment further.

Worried conservationist groups have filed an appeal with a state prosecutor, alleging development is not meeting protection laws and would damage a public resource.

Locals say they have been sidelined. Many once made a living from low-key eco-tourism but are now effectively barred from the beach.

"I used to take my kids there for free. Now, I have to pay 250 Egyptian pounds ($5) just to enter," said Mohamed Saleh, a tribal elder. "They didn't consult us. They didn't hire us. They just took over our land."

Fouad and other Egyptian officials argue that eco-tourism and investment can coexist. She defended development of the beach and Wadi el-Gemal as a "controlled expansion," ensuring sustainability while attracting revenue.

Her ministry will monitor and evaluate the proposed projects in sensitive areas, including Ras Hankorab, Ras Boghdady, and the world-renowned diving spot the Blue Hole, she said. However, critics see the ministry as lacking the resources for that.

Egypt has lost environmental expertise due to low wages and limited resources, conservationists say. In 2007, Wadi el-Gemal had 20 wildlife specialists monitoring biodiversity. Today, there are only a handful, said an NGO member.

The Environment Ministry and the State Information Service did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

"This [development] completely undermines the idea of eco-tourism. How does handing over protected land to private investors align with conservation?" said environmental lawyer Ahmed El-Seidi.

"The state is obliged to protect its natural resources and to protect the rights of future generations in these resources."

($1 = 51 Egyptian pounds)

(Reporting by Mohamed Ezz; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)