Despite Corona and Omicron, Europeans are attracted by tourism in Mauritania

Nouakchott -

At the height of the spread of Corona and the more rapid Omicron mutation, thousands of Europeans left behind the luxury and luxury life in the capital of lights, Paris, to turn their faces to northern Mauritania, deep in the Sahara desert.

They go to her, wrapping her calm and speaking silence, enjoying her complete isolation in search of the simplicity of life, a life in which the taste of water from wells tastes albumen, and sips of green tea made on hot coals under the shade of humble tents and abundant palm trees.

A discovery trip to the ancient city of Azuki (the island)

Mauritania has many cultural and environmental attractions that attract European tourists to it, and despite its dry nature and hot climate, it has been their favorite tourist destination for decades.

During this period, direct tourist trips arrive from Europe and France, specifically to northern Mauritania, with its archaeological areas and diverse terrain, trips that are expected to add a revival to the new tourist season, two years after tourism in the country was affected by the measures to confront the emerging Corona virus pandemic.

Tourists visit the market of the city of Atar (the island)

The secret of the turnout

The turnout in the period of the spread of Omicron in the world is attributed by Habibullah Sidi Miyab, a researcher in the field of economy and tourism, to several factors, the most important of which is the establishment of security in Mauritania, and this is the first concern of the European tourist, and since the term security has become more associated with the health field, Mauritania is relatively safe from COVID-19 especially in the countryside and remote desert areas, which is mainly the destination of European tourists;

As 90% of them do not pass through the capital, which is the largest epicenter of the virus in the country.

Officials expect that the number of tourists this year will reach about 5,000, which is an average number compared to previous years, when the number of tourists was 20,000, but despite its weakness, it will double according to their expectations in the next tourist season.

The desert train, a special train that is active in tourism and transports tourists from the "Choum" region to "Ezouerate" (the island)

Milestones and capabilities

In addition to having large beaches extending for more than 700 kilometers, and oases and vast deserts, Mauritania also has multiple ancient cultures that distinguished it from the countries of the region. Attracting lovers of knowledge and learning about the cultures and historical cities that tourists visit, here are cities with a history spanning more than 10 centuries.”

He adds that the European tourist, like other tourists in the world, has different tastes according to their different culture, some of them are looking for the relatively warm desert atmosphere compared to the atmosphere of Europe in this period, and among them are the search for virgin beaches, as well as a large number of cultural tourism lovers, who are mainly elderly It is men of culture and art.

Tourists wandering in traditional handicraft shops in the city of "Atar" (the island)

Tourist and archaeological places

The city of Atar - the center of the Adrar governorate in northern Mauritania - is the preferred destination for tourists, and it is the main gateway, where tourists gather to go to various archaeological, cultural and natural attractions.

In this governorate, two ancient cities hide, the city of Chinguetti, and its most prominent landmarks are its mosque minaret, which was built in 645 AD, which is the symbol of Mauritania, which is called in international forums, and the city of Ouadan, known for its impregnable fortress, its antique libraries and its gorgeous valleys. Pass.

And located near the city of Wadan is the Kingdom of the Jinn, as some call it, or the Eye of Africa, which are rock formations seen from space in the form of a human eye, with an estimated diameter of 35 kilometers.

Tourists’ activities vary according to their tastes and cultures. Some of them walk on camel trails roaming the desert (the island)

The city of Azuki, the historical memory, which was founded by the Almoravids in the fifth century AH and lies in the arms of the Adrar mountain range, 8 kilometers from Atar, is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in Mauritania.

The governorate of Adrar contains natural landscapes, most notably the oases, which occupy an area of ​​1876 hectares, and their scenic landscapes are tourist resorts that attract tourists to enjoy their abundant shade.

The "Bin Omair" rock is the third largest rock monolith in the world, with a length of 360 meters, and contains archaeological inscriptions and animal drawings dating back to ancient times, and is 100 kilometers from the central city of Atar, and although its road is rugged, it attracts the attention of tourists, especially climbers and scholars Archaeology.

European tourists mix with the simple Bedouin population and enjoy their councils (Al-Jazeera)

Distinguished activities and entertainment

European tourists mix with the simple Bedouin population and enjoy their innocent majlis, and their quiet nights away from the clamor of music made by their ears in Paris concerts, they sleep in the open in a sea of ​​sand that creeps behind the cities to devour them.

They wrap themselves in those vast favelas of the sky, and sleep in the golden sands.

In this vast endless horizon, tourists travel between mountain ranges, sands, oases and ancient cities, via the desert ship, the only means of transportation there and preferred by the new nomads.

According to field sources for Al Jazeera Net, the activities of tourists vary according to their different tastes and cultures, for example, those who walk through some tourist agencies on camel trails that roam the length of the desert extending from Adrar to the borders of the state of Tkant, and some of them roam the libraries of Chinguetti, Ouadan, Tishet, and Walata ( Historic cities classified as a World Heritage by UNESCO) in search of the culture of a people who passed through here and left traces and civilizations that need to be discovered, and some of them prefer recreation on the shores of the ocean.

They also go to handicraft shops to buy gifts for their family members, and visit archaeological museums, which are widely spread, including the "Atwisket" Museum in Atar, which includes more than 6,000 antiques, and other authentic Bedouin collectibles.

A special reception for the arrival of tourists to the historic city of Ouadane, organized by the National Tourism Office (Al-Jazeera)

Facing the pandemic

The history of the first direct tourist trip from Paris dates back to Atar in 1997, and since that time, most of the population in the north of Mauritania depend for their livelihood on tourism revenues, before it was classified among the red areas threatened by terrorism for years ago, and as soon as that ordeal began to clear until it handed over its role to Covid- 19 to compound the suffering. At that time, many parks were closed, and many of their workers were affected and migrated to the capital, and the places selling traditional antiques complained of recession, but now they are recovering;

As life began again in that barren desert, after it rained dozens of direct flights from Europe and landed in a frame.

Mahfouz Ould El-Jaid, Director of the National Tourism Office in Mauritania (Al-Jazeera)

Security and health challenges, the state tried to confront their economic and social effects. In his interview with Al Jazeera Net, the director of the National Tourism Office, Mahfouz Ould El-Jaid, said, "The state has allocated an amount of about two billion ounces to compensate for some of the fixed costs of national tourism institutions, and has developed a plan to revive domestic tourism as an alternative to foreign affairs in the time of the pandemic." And, in the near future, large demonstrations will be launched to introduce the national tourism capabilities immediately after the outbreak of the Covid-19 crisis, including the organization of a national salon that brings various international actors in the field of tourism.

However, the researcher in the field of economy and tourism, Habiballah Sidi Miyab, believes that Mauritania’s investments in the field of tourism, which is one of the most important tributaries of the world’s economies, are below par, adding that there are great tourism capabilities and new procedures and plans for its development, but he confirms that the tourism sector needs greater investments to be directed to it. , especially in the tourism infrastructure and the formation of human cadres and marketing abroad to encourage foreign investment in this field.