IT was unavoidable to sell Amon Hotel in the Upper Egyptian city of Aswan after it deteriorated very badly. The selling of this hotel was also a secondto- none option after renovation plans were suspended due to its co-owners refusal to allocate LE30 million to refurbish the building and maintain its infrastructure. **I used to be a regular guest in this multi-level hotel in the 1980s and 1990s. It was tiring and challenging physically for its guests to shuttle between their rooms and different facilities: the stairs were flying so high that guests would beg the managers to help them stay in rooms close to these facilities. **In addition to its curious design, the poor bookings in recent years also contributed to the decision of selling the Amon Hotel. The bad condition of the hotel led us to launch a publicity campaign to draw the attention of tourists to Aswan, this Upper Egyptian city, which displays a wide variety of tourist items and products, including therapeutic tourism, rejuvenating tourism, adventure tourism and monuments. The Nasser Lake in the city also provided a good opportunity to fishing tourism. Further, diving thrived in Aswan after the city has been connected with the Red Sea. **Local press wrongly indicated that the Amon Hotel is built on an island. The fact is that the hotel is overlooking the Nasser Lake. **The owner, Misr-Aswan Company, represents shareholders led by EgyptAir (26%), Misr Insurance (23%), EGOTH (19.5%), the Urban Community Authority (14%), Bank of Housing and Reconstruction (4.5%), Kuwait Investment Co. (4%), Misr Hotel Co. (3.7%), Misr Reconstruction Co., (3.5%), and Aswan Governorate (2%). **The Amon Village (hotel) grabbed the headlines this week after President Hosni Mubarak ordered the cancellation of any deals made on it, including previous sales. The President also ordered that a public tender be organised to sell the village and its facilities and that the sale should be expired after 49 years. VIP guests **It is known that President Hosni Mubarak visited Amon Village after its opening in 1985. Guests of the hotel were kings, heads of state and ministers. Sheraton International was signed to manage and run the hotel for two years before it (Sheraton International) had to withdraw in 1978 after sustaining huge losses. Although Misr-Aswan Co. succeeded in settling its debts, the company had to suspend renovation and upgrading programmes after it ran out of money in this respect. The situation of the village declined more tragically after its shareholders refused to pump any more money into its veins. Aspate of terrorist attacks in the country at the time also contributed to the decline in the number of visitors to Aswan. **According to a decision by the General Assembly of Misr-Aswan, the village was closed and its 219-person staff were reduced to 32. **In 2006, two agencies of 43approved to sell the village One of these two agencies estimated the price at LE55 million; the other put the price at LE60 million. Athird agency concluded that the village would claim LE70 million and no more. The first round of auction **I remember that I contacted Kamal Kandil, the former Board Chairman of Misr-Aswan Company, who explained that the winner of the auction was the Amon Island Co. for Tourist Investment, after it paid LE90 million, LE5 million of which was paid in advance. The company promised to pay 30% of the price within two months and after concluding the legal arrangements. Nonetheless, the company failed to commit itself to its contractual obligations, which were revoked in 2007. **The General Assembly of Misr- Aswan Co. decided to invite 17 major investors to submit their bids. According to the former board chairman, the bidders included Travco (LE40 million) and the Libyan Group (LE60 million). However, Palm Hills submitted three offers, the first of which was the immediate payment of LE84.5 million. The second offer was LE98 million to be paid in installments and the third was LE110 million payable within two years and half. **After frantic negotiations, the Libyan Group's offer was turned down and Palm Hills was invited to pay LE84.5 million. Apreliminary contract was signed on July 20 2008; LE12.5 was paid immediately and the buyer was allowed to pay the rest of the money within six months. **The former board chairman also remembered that Misr-Aswan, committing itself to its contractual obligations, registered the selling contract (of the 202 acre village) at the Notary Book. The Misr-Aswan Company failed to register a 4 km road and 37.5 acres surrounding it. The failure led Palm Hills to refuse to pay the price unless the road and the surrounding acres would be registered in the purchasing contract. **The dispute, which attracted the attention of MPs, was settled when President Hosni Mubarak intervened to cancel the selling contract. **The General Assembly of Misr- Aswan should convene to suggest the financial settlement with former buyers, who may claim compensation. Nefertary after Amon **I had the opportunity to attend celebrations marking the perpendicular fall of the sunrays on the face of King Ramses II on October 22 last year. I stayed in the Nefertary Hotel, which is owned by Misr-Aswan Co., I was shocked after discovering the bad condition of the hotel. Suffice it to say that the chandelier hung in the reception was miserable. Fresh vegetables and fruits were dangling from their containers and fell on the corridor and next to the rooms on their way to the kitchen. The hotel's garden was in a very bad condition. Air conditioners in rooms were terrible. Soap in the bathrooms was borrowed from a different hotel. **I realised that like Amon Hotel, Nefertary Hotel is the victim of its owners, who refused to allocate a budget to upgrade and renovate it. I think a new management should be quickly appointed to help rescue Nefertary Hotel and market it properly and successfully. **In the meantime, Aswan should be promoted internationally and regionally, and charter flights should increase their trips to this city. It is known that Aswan used to be the favourite place in winter to wealthy people in world's countries. **It must be said that the Cataract Hotel, which is undergoing renovation and upgrading, stands as an eyewitness of the greatness of Aswan as a tourist destination in winter. **Aswan needs more investment money and intense publicity campaign. In the meantime, an integrated plan should be made to highlight the city's aspects of tourism, landscape and monuments. On this occasion, I call upon Ali Abdel-Aziz, the Chairman of the Holding Company for Tourism, Hotels and Cinema; and Nabil Selim, the Chairman of EGOTH (the owner of Cataract Hotel), to make due preparations and make use of the hotel's opening by staging international festivities. I am also confident that Amr Elezabi, the Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Authority, ETA, could help in planning and financing. World Cup, Ramadan and euro **Tourism industry in Egypt is witnessing unhappy situation: a month is being consumed by the World Cup globally. Tens of thousands have flown to South Africa to watch the final matches; millions of people are watching the tournament at home. Nonetheless, the sufferings of tourism in Egypt doubled: the nation will soon mark the holy fasting month of Ramadan and the summer season, in which Arab tourists are used to gather in Egypt, will be dry. **Tourism in Egypt is also suffering after the decline of euro by 15% at the exchange market. Worse, the economic crisis in Europe is likely to take on bigger dimensions very soon and European tourists would have to change their minds about their travels overseas. [email protected]
