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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 June 2000 Issue No. 486 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 June 2000 Issue No. 486
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters The great desert park
By Ahmed Sami
Tourism comes in all manner of flavours these days. Ebbing away are the days of travel for its own sake -- a few smiling pictures and a little alabaster statue of the Pharaonic deity of your choice. Today, one is encouraged to don a purpose: trekking the Sinai mountains, swimming among sharks at Ras Mohamed, following the route of the Holy Family in Egypt.
Add to the list of adventure travel and religious tourism a new product that is sure to draw a moneyed crowd: health tourism. A Scandinavian "medical and wellness resort" is being developed in the Red Sea coastal area of Marsa Alam that boasts some impressive innovations on the oldest cure in the book -- a little fresh air.
A simple concept, but it is a big endeavour for Beach Safari Company, the Scandinavian enterprise that began construction on the new health resort last winter in an isolated area just north of Marsa Alam, about 250 kilometres south of Hurghada. Situated some 50 kilometres from the soon-to-be opened Marsa Alam airport, the endeavour will ultimately provide the area with a top-notch hospital for treating numerous ailments, including cancer and skin diseases.
The resort was the focus of a recent seminar on developing and encouraging tourism in the area. According to Mohamed Leheita, former head of the Egyptian Travel Agents Association (ETAA), there were once as many as 56 medical centres in Egypt geared toward "health tourists," but many of these (like the once famous health resort at Helwan) have closed due to urban expansion and pollution, bringing the number down to a mere 26. There is clearly room for improvement and the Marsa Alam health resort and rehabilitation centre is being developed with the standards of Swedish excellence in mind.
The resort is planned in simple Bedouin style, while at the same time providing every modern comfort. No monotonous string of treatments and hospital beds here. The emphasis will clearly be on living (living well, that is). Visitors in search of some recuperative rest and recreation will find that the warm climate and pristine waters (20-31°C) that already attract divers from Europe and Scandinavia for water sports, particularly wind surfing, can do a world of good.
A glimpse of Sinai snow (above): Tarek El-Qanawati, senior ranger at St Catherine protectorate; (below) the Bedouin Support Programme, established to aid Bedouin in the area, has encouraged the setting up craft centres
There will be a rehabilitation centre and a special sea-water treatment centre, along with a diving centre, tennis courts, a bicycle circuit and a volleyball court. Part of the resort will be geared to the elderly, for whom a strict diet of health foods appropriate to their condition will be provided. The resort will also have studio apartments, a pool with waterfalls and jets for water massage and a restaurant on a small island facing the pool.
The medical centre will boast some of the latest medical technology, most notably the "Accelerator MM", a non-surgical cancer treatment developed by Scanditronix company. Another interesting innovation described by Scanditronix Chairman Erik Hedlund is the new "sun card," which is designed to monitor sun exposure to protect the skin from irritation or over-tanning. One simply adjusts the level of their skin's sensitivity and inserts the card in the sand. "It will register changes and give a warning when the heat of the sun reaches a harmful level," Hedlund said.
A vast, deep basin sealed off to the north by the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba and to the south by the Strait of Bab Al-Mandab -- which cuts off currents from the Indian Ocean -- the Red Sea has characteristics that render it a unique environment, with an eco-system all its own. Sandwiched between deserts, the Red Sea has a healthy environment that is an ideal location for more than just health tourism, but developing it as such will undoubtedly build a new name around the area over and above water sports and luxury hotels.
Marsa Alam commands its own unique location, says Ayman Taher of AFA Red Sea Agency, which specialises in diving and underwater photography. The shore line isn't straight, and the mountains aren't close to the shore, he explains. The waters are populated with mangroves at shore's edge and flora, fauna and invertebrates inland. "The sea starts as a lagoon. Then comes a slope, which drops off to a depth of 2,359 metres," he said. Taher added that Marsa Alam is characterised by its high and low tides and the high salinity of its water, which fosters an environment for hard corals and rich underwater life, including a wide variety of fish species.
Marsa Alam's vibrant wildlife is not restricted to its waters. There is abundant bird life, including ibis, eagles and hawks. Project planners have been sensitive to environmental concerns and the latest trend of "eco-tourism." Local materials will be used in the health resort's construction, and care has been taken to minimise the centre's impact on the environment.
At the Marsa Alam seminar, Milad Hanna, the former chairman of the People's Assembly housing committee, stressed that care would be taken to provide suitable accommodation for employees and their families. Finally, he ventured to hope that Marsa Alam will also attract not only Europeans and other foreigners, but Egyptian patients, who might prefer to undergo medical care in Egypt, instead of abroad.
