Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 26 Oct. - 1 Nov. 2000 Issue No. 505
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875

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Gliding on the Gulf

By Ahmed Sami

When the once-humble city of Al-Tor proudly hosts the international windsurfing contest known as the Jipe City competition next spring, it will be the first time the competition is held outside of its birthplace, Venezuela. It will also be a rebirth for Al-Tor, the capital of South Sinai.

It won't be the first. Historically, Al-Tor has registered in the Egyptian consciousness under many guises, but today developers in this Gulf of Suez town are only interested in one thing -- warm breezes and the Gulf's unspoiled coastline. And make no mistake, those are foreign dollar signs in their eyes.

For those of you who think that the Sinai peninsula is on the verge of sinking into oblivion from the battalion of construction projects cramming along its coasts -- think again. What you've seen is only the beginning, because there is no end to what travellers will pay to dip their toes into previously unchartered waters and there is so much more to be seen in Sinai than a glistening blue horizon.

Those who remember Al-Tor two decades ago -- a somewhat shoddy port with a single run-down cafe and little else -- would be surprised to see it today. As recently as the last decade, the town offered little else than four small motels, themselves the only source of information about the area. When I decided to stop at Al-Tor on my way to Sharm Al-Sheikh, I found that the whole place had been cleared up. Dilapidated buildings had been demolished and tourist attractions like the area known as Moses' Bath and Ras Raya Bay are being aggressively developed. Al-Tor is getting a new lease on life.

Today, the private sector has taken over. Al-Tor now boasts a four-star resort and, naturally, it won't stop there. "We are getting visitors from all over the world," said Hassan El-Dali, general manager of Al-Tor's Moses Bay Hotel. Wind surfers have flocked to the spot, particularly from Germany, as have other Europeans seeking adventure tourism, notably safari trips. Even travellers from Latin America have discovered the spot as a nice base from which to visit religious sites.

Catching some wind: El-Tor may have found its niche in the crowded market of South Sinai tourism; experts say that conditions at this Gulf of Suez town are ideal for windsurfing photos: Ayman Ibrahim

"We suffer from lack of staff, and insufficient services in Al-Tor," explained El-Dali, who often has to make purchases for the hotel from Sharm Al-Sheikh. But with a number of resorts in Al-Tor under construction and some determined tourist development programmes, El-Dali is confident that this will soon change.

An ancient port in Pharaonic times, Al-Tor served as a point of entry into mineral-rich Sinai. Traders and caravans passed through the town and armies guarded the strategically placed port. Early Christians escaping Roman persecution made their way there, eventually dispersing among the nearby mountain ranges and adopting ascetic lives. Al-Tor is named after Gabal Tor (bull mountain), which is located adjacent to it.

After the Arab conquest of Egypt in the seventh century, Al-Tor became known as a port for ships carrying Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. The town eventually became a quarantine zone, where pilgrims often underwent medical examinations on their return from the hajj (pilgrimage). Despite its long history, however, Al-Tor remained a predominantly isolated area and the place was even used as a detention camp in modern times.

Traditionally, inhabitants of Al-Tor were indifferent to the sea. The wadis (valleys) and desert lands were their stomping grounds. But there is little doubt that the main attraction of Al-Tor will be a complete break with the past. Backs are being turned to the mountains and wadis, and the sea is becoming the focus of attention. Windsurfing enthusiasts who have made their way there compare Al-Tor favourably with other Red Sea resorts and most have raved that it surpasses better-known Sinai spots, like Dahab and Sharm Al-Sheikh.

The Gulf of Suez itself is the draw for windsurfing professionals, but for the struggling beginner, the Moses Bay Hotel has a small lagoon out back called Shat Al-Arab Bay. Al-Tor is considered a better location for windsurfing than places like Dahab, on the Gulf of Aqaba, which is largely protected from wind throughout the year. There is no windsurfing in Sharm Al-Sheikh.

Travel agencies were quick to pick up on the trend and Heiko Schmidt, a German investor in windsurfing stations in Egypt, promptly set up the Viva Surf windsurfing agency at the Moses Bay Hotel. There, he found virgin shoreline and perfect wind throughout the year. Schmidt, a veteran to the growing tourist industry in South Sinai, maintains another agency at the Swiss Inn Hotel in Dahab and organises trips between Al-Tor and Dahab for a growing clientele.

"I found the Web site of the hotel through the Internet," recalls Schmidt, who was drawn to invest in the area because it was new and undeveloped. But it was Al-Tor's spacious shores and strong wind that made him realise the potential for windsurfing, notching Al-Tor a cut above the other Red Sea spots.

"In Hurghada, diving boats come in the way of surfers," Schmidt explained. "In Dahab, the shadow of the hotels and the mountains is cast on the sea. In Al-Tor there is perpetual sunshine and no obstructions."

Most of Viva Surf's clientele come from Europe, especially Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France. But Schmidt warned that it would be difficult to expand windsurfing tourism in Egypt unless the country finds a solution to the problem of customs duties. "Customs charges 100 per cent of the price of the equipment," groaned Schmidt. "There is no definite policy; if the officials like someone, they give him a discount. Sometimes the equipment remains at the airport for months, and we pay a penalty charge of 10 per cent or more."

But windsurfers, it seems, can never have the waters to themselves. Air Aqua, a diving company drawn by growing interest in wrecks sunk in the Gulf of Suez, intend to set up a diving centre at the Moses Bay Hotel. A well-known site among divers is a World War II German boat, located nearby.

Mario Rappin, a 58-year-old traveller from Berlin, has been surfing for 20 years. Having visited Dahab twice, he remarked that conditions for surfing in Al-Tor are ideal. Heinz Pfeiffer, another guest at the Moses Bay Hotel, had surfed in Hurghada on five occasions. A 32-year-old Austrian, Pfeiffer learned about Al-Tor in a windsurfing magazine. "I prefer Al-Tor to Hurghada, as there is big windsurfing station and the beach, water, and wind are perfect," he said. "There is a lack in services in the city," he admitted, "but the people are nice."

"Last year I was in Hawaii," Pfeiffer added. "The wind and waves were perfect, but the problem was that there are no surf stations and everyone had to provide their own surfing equipment. Here it is inexpensive. I got a package rate for the flight and half-board accommodation, plus the necessary surf equipment, for DM1,300 for one week."

There is clearly enormous potential. I talked with Karam Ali, director of the information centre of Al-Tor governorate, about long-term plans for the development of tourism in Al-Tor. "What we lacked in the past was accessibility," he said, "but six months ago an international airport was completed, and steps are now being taken to get it up and running."

And, of course, for every resort born, there are almost always more along the way. Today, the buzz is around Ras Raya Bay, only 15 kilometres south of Al-Tor, where the governorate of South Sinai is hoping to develop a resort along the lines of Sharm Al-Sheikh. Investment figures being tossed around are in the billions and numerous hotel projects are in the works. Hopes are running high for courting the lucrative conference tourism market.

The attention bodes well for South Sinai, and Ali explained that no expense will be spared to upgrade the area to one of Egypt's top-notch resorts. A golf course, artificial lakes and windsurfing centres are all being considered. Perhaps the most significant addition would be the large marina planned for Ras Raya Bay, which would allow boat-trips from neighbouring Hurghada. The trip from Hurghada to Al-Tor would take a mere 30 minutes, making it a possible stop on organised tours between Hurghada and popular tourist spots like Saint Catherine. A new road will also connect Al-Tor to Saint Catherine by way of Wadi Hadran (Hadrian's valley).

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