CAIRO – Egyptian Minister of Tourism Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour today inaugurated the first marina for people with special needs in the Middle East and North Africa. The inauguration comes during World Tourism Day festivities in Aswan, Upper Egypt. This marina is a turning point for Egyptian tourism as it works toward meeting the needs of all tourism demands, and it provides the means for comfort, said Abdel Nour. “Egypt will launch Nile cruisers from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan; the Nile crusiers will have a powerful impact in reviving Egyptian tourism.” “The Amarco Nile Cruise Company resumed this project despite the halt in Nile cruises,” said the company's CEO Mohammed Othman, adding that the company expects an improvement in the future. The new marina costs about seven million EGP (U.S. $1.17 million) and construction is expected to take one year. The project provides full-service for special needs tourists, including transport from Aswan Airport to the marina, Othman said. “The project also includes a floating hotel with a special escalator,” he added. The floating hotel will have two royal suites, each of which is 116 meters. There will be four main suites measuring 76 meters and 48 suites measuring 38 meters. The hotel will also have a conference hall large enough to hold 350 people, a health club, a gym and other 5-star level equipment. “This new project will help activate tourism for people with special needs from all over the world, roughly 750 million people in the Arab and European world,” Othman added. Thirty-five million such people exist in the Middle East, according to recent statistics from the World Tourism Organization. Deputy Chairman of Amarco Kamar Samir today assured the return of Nile cruises from Cairo to Aswan. First Assistant to the Minister of Tourism Hisham Zaazou, Tourism Ministry's Advisor to the Ambassador Helmy Bedir, other leaders in the Tourism Ministry and leaders in the Union and Tourism sector attended the inauguration.
