Mauritania is making a gradual return to the international tourism map after a sharp decline in visitors caused by armed attacks in the late 2000s linked to al -Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Thanks to a decade without reported attacks, government security enhancements, and aggressive international marketing, the African country has welcomed roughly 7.000 visitors, signalling a strong post - security recovery.
The country, which one attracted around 30.000 tourists annually, largely from France and partly drawn by the Dakar Rally, saw new arrivals collapse following a 2007 attack in which four French tourists were killed near the town of Aleg, the capital of the Brakna Region in southwestern Mauritania, best known for its strategic location along the Trans Mauritanian Highway and the picturesque Lake Aleg, serving as a vital cultural, geographical, and agricultural crossroads in the Sahel.
With no reported attacks since 2011, the government has since strengthened its security apparatus, engaged religious leaders in counter - extremism efforts and stepped up international tourism marketing.
Mauritania offers an off-the-beaten-path desert adventure, blending vast, untouched Saharan landscapes with a rich, welcoming nomadic culture with deep - rooted traditions of desert hospitality. Major highlights range from ancient ruins, UNESCO-listed libraries, bustling coastal markets, to world - renowned wildlife reserves, and geological wonders.
One of these wonders is the Richat Structure, a 40km geological formation known as the “Eye of Africa” located in the Adnar Plateau, a spectacular and remote highland region in the Sahara Desert of northern Mauritania, characterised by shifting sand dunes, deep wadis, and storied deserts, containing ancient desert towns, oasis palm groves, and Neolithic archaeological sites.
Further attractions include Chinguetti, known as the seventh city of Islam, a medieval hub highlighted by centuries - old Qur’anic libraries holding ancient, hand - written Islamic mauscripts, Oudadane, is another site of relevance, an older 12th century trading post consisting of beautiful, stone - built ruins situated in a dramatic rocky setting, and Oualata, a beautifully fortified, terraced medieval town famous for its intricately painted traditional mud - brick walls and a notable historic manuscript museum, alongside the viral Iron Ore Train route are other highlights of Mauritania rich cultural and historical heritage.
In April 2026, Sheraton, a renowned brand part of Marriott International, American multinational hospitality company based in Bethesda, Maryland, became the first international chain to open in the capital Nouakchott, signalling growing investor confidence.
However challenges remain, with visitors noting gaps in site infrastructure, limited luxury accommodation and inconsistent tour coordination, travel expert Sean Connolly named Mauritania his destination of the year for The Times of London, described it as one of the last places where travellers can freely and safety explore the Sahara, adistinction that is increasingly rare across the region.
Link
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks a lot to read and note.