Marsa Alam – In support of Egypt’s economic development and the prosperity of the hundreds of thousands of Egyptians that work in Egypt’s tourism industry, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on December 13 participated in the inauguration of an interpretive center, an ecotourism enterprise, and a refrigeration facility to conclude a successful project in the Red Sea Governorate to establish sustainable tourism activities.

According to USAID Deputy Mission Director Rebecca Latorraca, “We are working to help create jobs and lasting prosperity through our activities in the Red Sea Governorate, which include reef restoration, ecotourism, and solid waste management.  USAID is proud of our partnership with the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association, the Egyptian Government, and the Red Sea Governorate to promote improved management of Egypt’s natural resources on the Red Sea coast.”

USAID has a two decade-long partnership with the Red Sea Governorate that has resulted in sustainable conservation policies, increased awareness and education about the area’s vast natural resources, and repopulation of giant clams that recycle nutrients that restore the reef.  Additionally, USAID has helped improve secondary technical education, trained local divers to manage mooring buoys to preserve the coral reefs, and upgraded the water distribution system in the Red Sea region.

This program is part of the $30 billion that the American people have invested in Egypt through USAID since 1978 to bolster self-reliance, foster stability, and promote economic growth.  To learn more about USAID’s work in Egypt, please see https://www.usaid.gov/egypt, and follow along on Facebook and Twitter at @USAIDEgypt.