Red Sea kite surfing school draws tourists
376 views · Published 29 October 2018 · 4:49 · Indexed 28 September 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(24 Oct 2018) LEADIN As Egypt's tourism industry begins to recover after years of turmoil, Red Sea kite surfing is growing in popularity, Two half Egyptian, half New Zealander sisters have opened a kite surfing school in the glamorous resort of El Gouna. STORYLINE Known for its sunny beaches, shallow, flat water and consistent wind, Egypt is turning into an international hub for kite surfers. 29 year old Mia Nadeem Ayoub - who is half Egyptian half New Zealander - has founded a kite surfing school with her sister Sophie in the Red Sea resort of El Gouna. Kite Tribe is becoming a popular place for tourists and locals wishing to learn the water sport. Mia says it's a great way to show tourists that there is more to Egypt than just pyramids and museums, and that the conditions in El Gouna are perfect for kite surfing: "We have shallow water, it's flat water so you can stand. It makes it very easy for beginners to learn and it makes it really pleasant to kite as a more advanced rider as well," she says. She adds that the warmth of the local people, plus the great weather, also make it a great place to visit. "The community here is really nice, Egypt is very laid-back, the people are very hospitable and foreigners, especially Europeans, it is very easy for them to get here and it can be very cheap to fly and they like to come here on their holidays. It's a nice sunny getaway, we have 365 days of sun pretty much, so it's really appealing for people who want to escape Europe for a week or two." Egypt has been affected by years of turmoil since the 2011 uprising that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak as well as extremist attacks. The Egyptian government has been working to draw tourists back to the country by tightening security measures around tourist sites, and the industry now appears to be turning around. "We have a lot of people coming here, it has been a very busy season and we have really consistent winds just non-stop. We have already had a few international competitions here and I expect that we will have more, and that more professional riders will come here and be joining us," says Sophie Ayoub, Mia's sister and co-founder of Kite Tribe. Michael Haupt came to El Gouna from Switzerland and found learning to kite surf more appealing than city break pursuits: "I was searching for some fun stuff during the holiday, because all the time city trips and shopping is boring. Then it was my first time alone in holiday here in El Gouna, and then I met the lovely Vennie (one of the instructors) and Mia and started kiting." Many foreigners live and work in El Gouna. Federica Gnesotto is an Italian who moved to El Gouna two years ago and is now learning to kite surf: "I used to come here just a month, every summer since I am very young, but I didn't know nothing about kiting and the beach life that you can have here. Two years ago I moved here and I met these awesome people, I met Mia and Sophie and the other girls and they told me about kiting and I was kind of interested," she says. El Gouna was founded by Egyptian businessman Samih Sawiris, the Chairman of Orascom Development. It's located almost 470 kilometres away from the capital Cairo in Hurghada governorate. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/afab7eeea373b48cff95270f197259af
