Egypt, UNDP, NBE team up to launch Eco-South Sinai Campaign

11 / 02 / 2022

By Marwa Nassar - -

Egypt teamed up with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the National Bank of Egypt (NBE) to launch the Eco-South Sinai Campaign that to raise awareness of these lesser-known places and promote them as unique destinations for eco-tourism.

These benefits include jobs and livelihoods for local communities, as well as opportunities for better management of natural resources.

Eco-tourism, or green travel, aims to reduce the adverse environmental effects of tourism as much as possible while increasing the positive socio-economic benefits of sustainable tourism.

In addition to eco-tourism on the ground, this project will also explore ways of harnessing the potential of virtual tourism, which has become increasingly popular due to the coronavirus pandemic and the travel restrictions that have been imposed.

This campaign is a key part of Eco-Egypt’s work, especially as it gears up for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) which is due to be held in Sharm El Sheikh this November.

The campaign aims to promote nature reserves and help introduce a new and valuable ecotourism product including several ecotourism experiences, such as local communities in addition to the most significant ecotourism destinations and activities in South Sinai reserves. The campaign will be promoted through print and digital advertising, as well as a 360-degree virtual panorama tours.

For two decades now, UNDP has been working with the Ministry of Environment to transform nature reserves across Egypt into eco-tourism sites.

The UNDP has established visitor centers in 19 nature reserves, providing infrastructure and information services to visitors.

Working with local communities, the UNDP has improved job opportunities for 20,000 families in different protected areas and raised the average income of local people at these sites by 126%.

The Eco-Egypt campaign has succeeded in opening up new horizons for sustainable eco-tourism, attracting tourists to many beautiful places in Egypt that were less visited before, including South Sinai.

Many tourists, however, are still not aware of all the great locations in this region that they can visit, including the Colored Canyon and the Bedouin camps at St. Katherine.