27 French tourists and 10 Egyptian crew members were rescued on Thursday after their diving boat hit a coral reef and sank in Egypt’s Red Sea, Egypt's interior ministry said in a statement on their official Facebook page.

There were no casualties and all involved are in a good condition, according to the statement.

The boat sank in the Abu Dabbab area, 20 kilometres north of Marsa Alam, a town on Egypt's south-east coast.

When the boat started to sink the surrounding boats approached and took the passengers to Port Ghalib Marina.

The crew failed to save the boat.

The Red Sea coast includes significant tourist destinations popular for water sports, and is considered one of the best diving destinations in the world.

According to Egypt’s official tourism website, Marsa Alam has become a major destination for diving enthusiasts since the opening of Marsa Alam International Airport in 2001.

Egypt has been trying to improve tourism services since a sharp drop in tourism following the January 2011 revolution. The tourism industry, a main pillar of the national economy, has yet to recover from years of political instability.

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