Egyptian Resort Fears Slump in Tourism By MARIAM FAM, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 54 minutes ago
The salespeople were surveying the damage from the first spate of bombings — walking amid jagged shards of glass — when news of more attacks came.
The suicide attacks Wednesday on international peacekeepers in the northern Sinai added to the uncertainty gripping this resort town after a triple bombing here Monday killed more than 20 people.
Residents said Thursday they were more worried than ever that tourism will slump — but determined to rebuild so extremists can't claim victory.
The resilience that brought residents to Dahab, whether to start a business or escape unemployment, was clear as they worked together to erase tragedy's signs, and once again offer this tiny resort's laid-back hospitality.
Armed with towels, workers at Al Capone restaurant, where one of Monday's explosions occurred, cleaned wooden tables. The restaurant's sign, askew after the blasts, had been straightened.
"Breakfast?" a barefoot man in shorts called out to passers-by.
The man, Egyptian-American Sam Tadrous, said he was a friend of Al Capone's staff and had come to Dahab after the blasts to help out.
"It's important for the people of the area to see that they'll spring back and that it's not the end of the world," said the 25-year-old Tadrous.
Merely keeping businesses running can send a powerful message, he said.
"What the people who blew the place up tried to do didn't work," he said. "In 24 hours, we can right what was wronged."
Couples holding hands and parents with children strolled across a bridge that had been sealed off by police tape as part of the crime scene. Protesters carried signs reading "No to Terrorism."
A sign on a nearby bar read: "We are not afraid."
But bouncing back may prove difficult.
The bar's owner, Mohammed Aboul Leil, said most of his 15 workers refused to return to work. Many returned to hometowns to reassure family they were safe.
"I won't close. If it's only my wife and I here, we won't close. We have to keep working and this crisis will pass," Aboul Leil said.
Tourism is Egypt's top hard-currency earner and officials have painted the attacks as an attempt to hurt the country's economy. Last year, when bombs tore through the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, hundreds of tourists fled on the next plane home, although the resort quickly bounced back.
In Dahab there were no signs of a mass exodus. Ignoring piles of broken glass, tourists browsed through colorful beads and traditional robes and scarves.
But anecdotes swapped among shop owners suggested some foreigners did leave after the explosions.
Hazem Ismail said the Internet cafe where he works operated around the clock before the blast.
"Now we close at 10 p.m. because there aren't people," he said. "Tourism is dying down in Dahab."
Some businesses remained shuttered and the hum of a power generator replaced the loud music and laughter that usually pours out of seaside cafes.
Still, Aboul Leil was optimistic.
"Business will be less, but not for long," he said, vowing not to give the attackers the satisfaction of making him close his business. "This is a war between backward people and people who want to make a living."
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