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ALEXANDRIA (Egypt): Alexandria, the Egyptian coastal city where Cleopatra had love affairs with Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony, is trying to regain some of its old glory as a tourism destination for European and Arab elites.
This summer, a new luxury hotel opened on the site of a grand old establishment where Austrian archdukes and Egyptian khedives would gather for Viennese pastries or tennis a century ago.
Last year a multi-storey mall with brands such as Guess and LaSenza opened to the public, and the city is building a new international airport to meet demand from tourists.
With Egypt’s economy recording its third consecutive year of gross domestic product growth over five per cent, an oil-fuelled boom in Gulf economies bringing more tourists, and European economies strong, the city is already enjoying some success.
“Alexandria has been so neglected over the past decades but there is a still a lot of nostalgia for the way it used to be,” said Stephan Killinger, manager of the new Four Seasons San Stefano hotel.
A SECOND REVIVAL: Founded by Alexander the Great, the city was the world’s centre of learning for the 300 years before the birth of Christ.
Ships visiting the city’s harbour were searched for manuscripts to contribute to its 500,000-scroll library.
Destroyed by fire and earthquakes, most of the ancient city now lies under the sea.
Alexandria was revived in the 19th century and early 20th century as a European-style city, with villas and palaces overlooking the sea, funded by profits from Egypt’s cotton trade.
The San Stefano hotel casino was one of its landmarks, built in the style of the resorts along the French coast.
The city has spent millions over the past decade restoring its infrastructure.
Although it has always attracted Egyptians on summer holidays, it still accounts for only a small fraction of Egypt’s expanding foreign tourist market.—Reuters
