In Egypt, artificial reefs are being created for the development of diving tourism. A project has been launched on the Red Sea to create an underwater museum, the exhibits of which will be objects of old military equipment. The first three of them are flooded. Will this idea be of interest to tourists, tour operators said?
Egypt’s first underwater park is being set up near Hurghada
To attract divers and increase income from foreign tourism, Egypt announced the creation of the country’s first underwater marine museum off the coast of Hurghada. The project is agreed with environmentalists and is aimed at protecting natural coral reefs in the Red Sea region. The “exposition” will include samples of old Egyptian military equipment: there will be 15 of them in total and these objects will be placed in different places near the coast of Hurghada.
According to the authorities, the disposal of old ships and tanks is carefully thought out (the project was developed for 7 years) and will not harm the ecosystem in the long term. The flooded sites will become “industrial” reefs and create an environment for the growth of natural corals and an increase in fish populations.
As conceived by the Egyptian Ministry of the Environment, the appearance of an underwater park will reduce the pressure on existing natural locations.
The first three objects – two old seaboats and an armored car – were gently flooded last Thursday. Tourists will be able to get acquainted with underwater objects and their inhabitants as part of excursions on ships with a transparent bottom and during group diving.
Hurghada will be able to compete more actively with divers
According to tour operators, the emergence of new diving locations in Egypt will be of interest to travelers.
“Diving is an important component of the rest of many tourists in Egypt, so the expansion of opportunities and the emergence of new dive locations should be interesting for vacationers,” the press service of the tour operator ANEX noted.
“Of course, such initiatives will only lead to positive results. New diving spots will be of interest not only to beginners but also experienced divers. New locations are always new experiences that many tourists and travelers hunt for,” TEZ TOUR stressed.