Tourism on the Sands of Illusion… When Promotion Turns into a Farce
By: Mohamed Abdarahman Ould Abdallah
Journalist, Nouakchott
In a scene rich with symbolism, two Mauritanian ministers were seen sitting on the sands of Las Canteras Beach, sharing laughter and sipping milk, in a promotional photo op supposedly aimed at “promoting domestic tourism.” As if the country is not suffering from a severe lack of tourism infrastructure, a collapsed service sector, and the complete absence of a serious strategy to make tourism a promising industry rather than just a decorative backdrop for social media posts.
Minister Bent Ahmednah and Minister of Culture Al-Hussein Meddou offered nothing beyond appearances in this outing—no announced projects, no specific programs to support hotels, develop heritage sites, or train local personnel. Just a “soft photo session” on the beach, more akin to a personal picnic than to any serious ministerial duty.
● Tourism Without Roads or Light
Domestic tourism in Mauritania is in a bleak state:
There are no suitable roads connecting key tourist sites.
Most tourism-rich areas (like Chinguetti, Ouadane, Oualata, Tichitt…) lack basic services: stable electricity, clean water, or even proper transportation for tourists.
There is a complete absence of digital booking platforms, tourist guides, or even public awareness campaigns to prepare local communities for receiving visitors.
From a policy perspective, there’s no clear national vision to invest in the sector—not in the educational curricula, not in the budget allocations, and not in public-private partnerships.
● Promoting a Tourism We Don’t Actually Have?
Tourism promotion isn’t about smiling for the camera. It’s about building infrastructure, offering incentives to investors, and training local youth to be active players in the ecosystem.
How can we promote “domestic tourism” when the interior itself is drowning in isolation, poverty, and poor services?
And how can we speak of a tourism industry in a country that doesn’t even have an independent Ministry of Tourism—just a department lumped under a culture ministry run by seasonal events?
● Smiles Don’t Build an Economy
Yes, the picture is pretty—but the country is not well.
Instead of disguised beach outings, we need ministers who travel to neglected inland towns, inspect the crumbling inns, listen to artisans, and identify potential profits from our desert and cultural heritage.
What we truly need is a national tourism plan that doesn’t rely on “ministerial selfies,” but on creating actual tourist routes, providing essential services, and generating real income for the country and its youth.
● In Conclusion…
Tourism in Mauritania will never thrive as long as it’s reduced to moments of self-promotion—and as long as officials value the camera lens more than the lens of development.
Forced smiles don’t build an industry. They don’t revive dormant towns. And they certainly don’t offer the youth of the interior a path to a better future.
