020318_Hurghada SECAP_FINAL

sustainable and green tourism through developing a comprehensive tourism strategic and efficient solution –
“Sustainable and Green Tourism Plan – SGTP.’’ The SGTP should integrate sustainability measures and technologies to
a green tourism approach in the city including: hotels and tourist boats as well as sea marina at diving centres and their
activities.
Short-term (2 to 3 years)
On the short term, a dynamic awareness campaign targeting hotels, resorts, diving centres, tourist operators and safaris
should help promoting responsible behaviours: energy and water careful consumption, waste management etc.; all
these activities will set the ground for a more structural transformation of the tourist sector on the mid and long term.
Long- term (impact to be seen after 3 to 5 years)
Much work needs to be done on awareness and behaviour related to leisure activities. However, behavioural change
would be only possible when real alternatives are offered to allow people to actually change their current practices in
the Red Sea water activities.
Ideally, a city committed to reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions such as Hurghada would develop, design
and implement a Sustainable and Green Tourism Plan (SGTP) based on smart eco-solutions that could entail the
following:
- Structuring the tourism sector at the Governorate by empowering leisure and tourism authorities within the
Governorate and the city of Hurghada to take action for the improvement of tourism and leisure activities in the
city. In the case of Hurghada, this would mean close collaboration between the Municipal council and the
Egyptian Tourism Authority (ETA) and the evolution of some of the current rules, which appear to be
counterproductive to reduce energy consumption;
- Developing communication and participatory strategies involving the tourism sector, with the aim of facilitating
behavioural changes;
- Convert touristic boats to operate with natural gas (CNG) instead of fuel and when appropriate and feasible to
run on electric engines powered by PV cells. Additionally, all services on board should be covered by renewable
energy sources;
- Integrate renewable energy in seaports, marinas and diving centres along the shore of the city of Hurghada; and
- Promote a charter for responsible tourism that will also engage the tourists themselves to take care of the fragile
environment they enjoy when visiting the City of Hurghada.
Such comprehensive plan (SGTP) would require a strong leadership from the Governorate and the Municipal Council,
which is obviously noticed in the Governor’s vision and the Governorate.
Hotels and resorts
The City of Hurghada is willing to engage hotels and resorts in the energy transition, promoting significant efforts to
reduce energy consumption, improve waste management and switch, as far as possible, from fossil fuels to renewable
energy (solar water heating, solar PV, biogas, etc.).
Energy efficiency in hotels and resorts should be promoted through highlighting the positive return on investment of
any efforts engaged to reduce energy consumption: adequate air-conditioning management, efficient lighting. Resorts
and hotels have been promoting the efficient use of water inviting their customers to minimize their demands in new
towels and bed sheets. They now have to promote electricity saving through responsible behaviour from their clients
apart from Card Control room. They also can adopt all technologies that will provide more efficient use of energy.
Resorts and hotels should also use the large surfaces they have in roofs to install solar systems to produce heat and
electricity (Solar thermal and PVs), which are the two types of energy services they actually need. In most cases, solar
water heaters could be sufficient to produce sanitary water and warm swimming pools.
Last but not least, a special project could be developed to reduce food wastage and collect food waste from hotels and
resorts. These facilities produce an average of 150 tons of solid waste daily (close to 55,000 tons per year). Most of this
waste is organic waste. So, this material combined with other sources of bio-waste, available in the City of Hurghada,
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