Nuweiba – breaking the spell
Two weeks after the terrible attack in Dahab people are getting back to normality and tourists are enjoying holiday activities again like diving and safari tours. In team work with tourists Dahab residents are repairing their damaged shops, painting them in friendly colors wiping out the traumatic experience burnt into their hearts.
The only place that again seems to suffer a decline in tourism in the aftermaths of the Dahab attack is Nuweiba.
Nuweiba mainly depends on Israeli tourism crossing Taba border. Since the Intifada in the year 2000 tourism in Nuweiba is hit very hard and the lively town went into a deep sleep that was disturbed only once, 4 years later. Israelis, who scared and warned against traveling to any Arab country, started to slowly return to Sinai and to Nuweiba when Taba happened and dramatically ended the revival of Israeli tourism before it even begun.
It is not that Nuweiba is not interested in attracting different nationalities, it just has no alternative. Destinations are dictated by tour operators and tour operators live from mass production and are interested in filling their allotments in chain hotels preferable near the airports in Taba or Sharm el Sheikh.
In terms of renowned hotels Nuweiba has got only the Hilton to offer and a very few other 4 stars in the nearby area. The majority in the hospitality industry are family run camps and small hotels that in no way lack any of the friendly services of a 5 star.
Nuweiba is a perfect gateway for adventure and eco-tourism. Though not the best diving destination in Sinai, one must not fear to bump into another group of fellow divers while exploring the reefs, rich in fish and corals. Nuweiba is also an excellent location to combine a leisure holiday including a tour to Cairo and the Pyramids or even to enjoy historical Petra in Jordan on a one day trip.
As a laid back destination Nuweiba offers good food in local restaurants, shopping opportunities in the bazaars and tranquility. It is about time to break the spell Nuweiba is suffering from for over 6 years - and also hotel guests in the area are invited to spend a day in the little settlement.
A last word about security measures in Sinai. Security is very tight and in comparison to years ago when Sinai was enjoying bliss freedom it has become a prison with many restrictions - invisible to the common tourist though. Terrorists have succeeded to destroy a peaceful paradise and the reputation of the indigenous people of Sinai, the Bedouins. A desert dweller is prone to survival in a harsh and hostile desert environment with little resources. It seems almost impossible that a Bedouin could ever engage in a suicide attack.
