EGYPT has taken great leaps forward to develop its snorkelling or diving industries, which have been upgraded from the individual level to an institutional level, a worldrenowned expert told a meeting in the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh Sunday. “Within just three years, Egypt has made every serious effort to improve the diving industry throw enforcing internationally approved safety measures and offer high-quality services that made this sport appealing to divers and tourists,” Jack Lavenshi of the World Recreational Scuba Training Council (WRSTC) added. Lavenshi said that the Egyptian Tourism Ministry was keen on applying the worldwide safety of the recreational diving sports and ensuring to develop training standards for all personnel involved in this sports. "In addition, the Ministry, being represented by the Chamber of Diving and Maritime Activities, has implemented the internationally recognised standards and regulations to ensure the maximum safety for the lovers of this sport," he told the meeting. Diving experts from Austria, Germany, Spain, Croatia, UK, the US, Finland, Sweden, Cyprus, Ireland, Switzerland, Malaysia, Russia, Italy and Denmark are taking part in this meeting. Lavenshi said that Egypt had overcome the negative impact of a spate of shark attacks that have occurred off Sharm el-Sheikh earlier this month. "Now, the scuba divers have started returning to Sharm el- Sheikh waters after these incidents thanks to safety measures that have been adopted by the Ministry," he said, adding that Egypt has become one of the world's top diving-sports destinations especially among the European divers. Meanwhile, WRSTC member J. Taylor said that the meeting that Egypt had upgraded training standards for members of the recreational diving industry to ensure maximum safety for the divers. "Over the past three years, there have been roughly a small number of water-related deaths in Egypt thanks to the great attention paid to the safety of the divers and to build a viable business," she said. Taylor said that dive operators had been paying a great attention to safety measures for the divers to stave off accidents
