Mauritania pursues tourism revival following security stabilization

Stretching across a vast territory that is about 90 percent desert, Mauritania sits at the crossroads of North and West Africa. After a period which saw armed groups linked to al-Qaeda launching attacks in the mid-2000s, eventually fended off by several security measures, the country is now scrambling to rebuild its tourist destination. 

About 30,000 tourists used to flock here annually, but a grim episode in the country’s history stopped that flow. The government is now stepping up marketing campaigns, with some early signs of success, as Al Jazeera reports.

Mauritanian tourism experienced a golden age in the early to mid-2000s. During those years, visitors arrived in large numbers during the cooler months between November and February, particularly from France. Many came for the Dakar Rally, the off-road motor race that once ran from Paris through harsh desert terrain to Dakar.

But from the mid-2000s, armed groups, including Algeria-based al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), began targeting areas across the country, including the capital, Nouakchott.

On Christmas Eve in 2007, AQIM fighters killed four French tourists near the western town of Aleg, in an attack that shocked the international community. The victims, members of the same family, were shot while picnicking by the roadside.
The suspects were later arrested and sentenced to death in 2010. By then, however, Mauritania had already suffered a series of attacks, including an attempted assault on the French embassy.

Tourist arrivals fell sharply. The Dakar Rally was permanently relocated to the Middle East, and charter flights that once brought French tourists directly to the Adrar region were suspended.

Government responds with harsher security measures

In response, the government reinforced its security apparatus. Elite military units were deployed to border regions, many of which were designated as military zones. At the same time, authorities worked with religious leaders to speak out against extremism, including inside prisons holding suspected militants. Quranic schools came under tighter oversight, while access to formal education was expanded.

More recently, policy has shifted toward tackling rural poverty. Officials have expanded a social registry of vulnerable households eligible for monthly cash transfers, while infrastructure such as water, electricity, healthcare, schools, and mobile networks has gradually reached more remote communities.

As a result, no attacks have been reported since 2011.

While there have been occasional claims of informal understandings between authorities and armed groups, these have not been confirmed, said Mauritanian researcher Baba Adou of the University of Florida. He noted that the collapse of security in neighbouring Mali since 2012 created conditions favourable to Al Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS)-linked groups, which may have contributed to their withdrawal from Mauritania.

However, he warned that “border areas near Mali also remain prone to spillover,” as instability in the region continues.

Renewed focus on tourism

Authorities have also invested in international tourism promotion and invited foreign tour operators to explore the country.

Tourist arrivals rose by 166% between 2018 and 2019 after visa fees were reduced from $139 to $46, reaching around 4,000 visitors that season, according to government data.

About 7,000 visitors have arrived so far this year, according to travel agency operator Alioune Cheikh.

Although numbers remain modest compared to the past, tourism has become an increasingly important source of income in a country where roughly a third of the population lives in poverty.

On social media, the Iron Ore Train has emerged as a viral symbol of Mauritania’s stark desert landscapes. The 640-kilometre route runs daily between the mining town of Zouerat and the Atlantic port of Nouadhibou, with adventurous travellers often riding in open freight wagons across the desert.

Beyond the train, other destinations are drawing attention, particularly in the Adrar region, a dramatic landscape of canyons and oases.

At the ruins of the ancient city of Ouadane, visitors move through stone doorways, taking in the quiet remnants of past civilisations.

By Nazrin Sadigova