After battling armed attacks, Mauritania attempts to revive its tourism sector

After years in which armed conflict in the Sahel paralysed its tourism industry, Mauritania has launched a campaign to revive desert tourism. The government said it has deployed dedicated gendarmerie units along tourist corridors following extensive counter-insurgency operations against al-Qaeda-linked groups by domestic security forces.

According to Al Jazeera, tour packages to historic desert cities such as Atar, Chinguetti and Ouadane have returned to sale. Operators such as France's Point Afrique are preparing to resume charter flights to the country. Local guides and nomadic communities have launched training programmes aimed at building a sustainable tourism model rooted in local participation.

The UNESCO-listed manuscript libraries of Chinguetti and rock art in the Adrar region form the centrepieces of cultural tourism. Mauritania's tourism ministry says its 2025-2030 strategy aims to triple the sector's share of GDP. The outcome will continue to depend heavily on the evolving security situation across the Sahel region. This is not travel advice.