Towards Building the Human Resources and Institutions of Ecotourism in Fayoum

Description

In 1999/2000, the Egyptian Tourism Development Authority and the Royal Netherlands Embassy commissioned a study on the potential benefits of ecotourism in creating jobs and preventing environmental degradation in Fayoum. The study showed that the potential for community, nature and culture based ecotourism in Fayoum, with its lakes and bird sanctuaries, pristine desert areas that include fossil remains of world importance, varied cultural heritage sites and rural quietude, is very high. Yet, the type of tourism that the Fayoum currently receives is not fulfilling its potential and the economic benefits of tourism are minimal as far as the local population and the governorate are concerned.

Project: Ecotourism for Sustainable Development in Fayoum

Most visitors to the Fayoum tend to come for the day and do not make use of overnight accommodation. The lack of poor marketing and communication, complicated and burdensome security procedures for foreigners, as well as missing signage, interpretation and infrastructure facilities make that the number of visitors at cultural, natural geological and archaeological sites is low. Most visitors do also not get a chance to spend money on locally produced merchandise, such as food and handicrafts, and/or to employ the services of local guides and service providers.

To mobilize resources and establish the proper conditions in the local public and private sector to initiate a planned series of ecotourism projects in the Fayoum, the Royal Dutch Embassy in Cairo has agreed to finance a follow up project called “Preparatory Phase for Ecotourism in Fayoum Project”.

Objectives of this initiative were to secure the effective commitment of the Fayoum governorate, other governmental agencies, donors and the private sector in the long-term implementation of ecotourism in Fayoum, to mobilize new and additional resources, and to operate a series of demonstration ecotours, which would stimulate future ecotourism development in the Governorate.

Project implementation started in October 2002 and lasted until December 2003, with the final report written in February, 2004. The overall long-term goal of the project is to

• reduce poverty and protect the environment in the Fayoum governorate through the development of ecotourism.

The direct project objective was to develop a pilot project with environmental sound economic activities in order to raise the socio-economic standards of the local run communities through the creation and expansion of aware tourism, based on an environmentally and culturally sensitive approach. The project’s developmental philosophy lies in maximizing the benefits flowing to the residents of the project area by stimulating the local economy through the development of ecotourism related entrepreneurship for local population, thus encouraging the valuation and preservation of local cultural and environmental assets by demonstrating that natural and cultural environments can bring much needed revenue to the area. This means generating income that remains in the Fayoum governorate and practically showing residents the value of their customs, social values, and trades.

Defined project outputs included:

• the improvement of the legal and political environment for the development of sustainable ecotourism through facilitation, advocacy and awareness raising at different levels,
• running and documenting of a series of sample tours, and
• mobilization of additional and new resources from government, donors, and private sector to support additional ecotourism related activities.

Services

Development of different Ecotourism Products and a mechanism for duplication

• Mapping and documentation of potential sites of interest: Site excursions, literature review, semi-structured interviews.
• Identification of potential service providers and their training needs: Site excursions, trial tours, semi structured interviews.
• Implementation of training: formal classroom session, study tours, on-the-job training through trial tours and testing, role plays, semi-structured discussions.
• Pilot testing of tours: Semi-commercial organization and conduction of tours.

Promotion of Ecotourism in Fayoum

• Awareness rising of local key authorities of potential of Fayoum for ecotourism: participation in public pilot tours, closed field trips, feedback sessions and discussions.
• Awareness rising of potential visitors and promotion of Fayoum as an ecotourism destination: Lectures, articles, pilot trips, organisation of and participation in exhibitions.
• Find out more about tour operators interest in Fayoum: quantitative and qualitative survey
• Communication events and awareness raising of tour operators: lectures to professional tourism related committees, publishing of articles in specialized magazines and participation in tourism fairs, familiarization tours for companies, mailings.

Mobilization and securement of additional and new resources for ectourism development from government, donors and private sector

• Awareness rising of local key authorities of needs of tourism: workshops at village, district and governorate level, lobbying, facilitation of decision making.
• Fund raising from private companies: lobbying, pilot tours.
• Secure funds from donors: proposal development, lobbying.

Improvement of legal and political environment for the development of ecotourism in Fayoum through facilitation, advocacy and awareness activities.

• Awareness rising of local key authorities of needs of tourism: workshops at village, district and governorate level, lobbying.
• Propose mechanism for licensing system for local activity providers: formal and informal meetings and discussions.