After years of security turmoil, Mauritania seeks to revive its tourism industry
Shola Lawal
Once a top destination with 30,000 annual visitors, Mauritania's tourism collapsed after Al-Qaeda-linked attacks in the mid-2000s. The government has since tightened security, reduced visa fees, and promoted the country abroad. With visitor numbers rising—7,000 this year—locals like Fatima Bouya are cautiously resuming tourism businesses, though infrastructure and competition remain challenges.
Guelb er-Richat, Adrar Region, Mauritania – From her thatched hut, 49-year-old Fatima Cheikh Mohammad Bouya peers across the vast rocky expanse, hoping to catch sight of travelers. She is the caretaker of one of Africa's most striking natural wonders—the Richat Structure, also known as the “Eye of Africa.” This giant circular formation, about 40 km in diameter and set on the rugged Adrar Plateau, can only be seen in full from the air. Bouya is among hundreds of locals benefiting from the slow revival of Mauritania's tourism sector.
In the early 2000s, about 30,000 tourists visited Mauritania each year, mostly from France, to attend the Dakar Rally and explore the desert. However, from the mid-2000s, armed groups like Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) began targeting areas. On December 24, 2007, AQIM gunmen killed four French tourists near the town of Aleg, sparking international outrage. Suspects were arrested and sentenced to death in 2010. Tourism plummeted: the Dakar Rally was permanently moved to the Middle East, and charter flights bringing French visitors to Adrar were suspended.
In response, the Mauritanian government bolstered security: deploying elite military units to border areas, designating several zones as military regions, and mobilizing religious leaders to preach against extremism, even in prisons holding jihadist suspects. Quranic schools faced tighter oversight, while pathways into mainstream education were expanded. More recently, the focus has shifted to reducing rural poverty, expanding the list of poor households receiving monthly subsidies, and bringing water, electricity, healthcare, schools, and mobile networks to remote areas. Since 2011, no further attacks have been reported.
Researcher Baba Adou of the University of Florida suggests that the security collapse in Mali since 2012 may have caused armed groups to withdraw from Mauritania, but warns that “border areas near Mali remain vulnerable.”
The Mauritanian government has ramped up marketing campaigns, attended international tourism events, and invited foreign travel agents to visit. Early results are encouraging: visitor numbers rose by 166% from 2018 to 2019 after cutting visa fees from 120 euros to 40 euros (from $139 to $46), bringing about 4,000 tourists that season. This year alone, around 7,000 tourists have arrived, according to tour company owner Alioune Cheikh. The numbers are still modest compared to the past, but with roughly one-third of Mauritania's population living in poverty, tourism is becoming an increasingly important source of income.
Besides the Richat Structure, other popular attractions include the iron ore train—a 640-km rail line running between the mining town of Zouerat and the port of Nouadhibou—where adventurers often ride atop empty cargo cars. The ruins of the ancient city of Ouadane, where visitors wander through stone doorways, also draw interest. Belgian tourist Martha Capa said: “I had no expectations—actually, I wanted to go to Senegal—but it's a wonderful surprise.” However, she noted infrastructure limitations: no guards at the heritage site, no ticket office. Italian visitor Mattheo Zuchelli said many of his clients would prefer smoother desert roads and higher-end accommodation, similar to what Morocco offers.
Travel expert Sean Connolly—who named Mauritania his destination of the year for 2026 in The Times of London—argues that its raw, untouched character is what sets it apart. “People carry tents with them, and if a stranger passes without their own, they are always welcomed and fed. This desert hospitality code means there have traditionally been almost no luxury hotels in the country.” But that is slowly changing. In April, the first international hotel chain, Sheraton, opened in the capital Nouakchott.
Back at the Richat Structure, Fatima Bouya continues to wait for visitors. “I've been in this business since I was a child, but we had to stop because of security problems,” she recounted. With a population of just 5.5 million, Mauritania is so sparsely populated that families like Bouya's can control vast tracts of land around sites like Richat. Bouya says she resumed operations to make a living. Although visitor numbers are slowly increasing, attracting tourists remains difficult. “Tourists are like assets we have to fight for now,” she said. “The last time I hosted guests was three nights ago, when seven Italians came. But I have 100 tents piled up in storage.”
