Egypt’s once bustling Red Sea beaches deserted as tourists stay home
The bright blue waters in Hurghada normally attracts countless holidaymakers this time of year, but right now Egypt’s Red Sea beaches are empty.
In the popular Egyptian resort city, deck chairs are stacked up to towers, not a single tourist is visible under the sunshades, and restaurants are closed.
Life has changed because of the coronavirus pandemic and nobody knows when it will return to normal.
Hotels in Hurghada are only occupied by necessary personnel, says German-born Marcel Lauck, who runs a bar in the city, which is a popular spot for sun-deprived Europeans to take a vacation.
“There is simply nothing going on in the streets any more. You only see a few joggers. The sea is also closed off.”
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Lauck wants to open his bar again as soon as possible and now passes the days with sports or online courses. Sooner or later holidaymakers will rediscover the coral reefs and fantastic November weather, Lauck said.
The beaches in Sharm El-Sheikh, another popular beach resort in Egypt, are also deserted, residents report.
Like Hurghada, and Egypt in general, the place survives on tourism. More than 13 million holidaymakers visited the North African country in 2019.
Some experts suspect that the industry is losing 1 billion dollars per month due to the crisis.
However Hurghada has survived wipeouts before. It recovered after tourism collapsed following political upheavals of 2011 and 2013 and after terrorist attacks in the country over the last decade. (dpa)
