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Islamic Tourism: Libya will be the Dubai of the Mediterranean, according to Nizar Lachtar a representative of one of the 18 Libyan travel agencies which took part in this year’s World Travel Market (WTM) held in London’s Excel Exhibition Centre from November 6th – 9th.
Staged annually in London under one roof the World Travel Market is the world’s largest business to business exhibition. It provides a unique opportunity for the whole global travel trade industry to meet, network, negotiate, conduct business and stay abreast of the latest developments in the travel industry.
Libya’s presence at the WTM has grown from a stand of 12 square meters in the 1990s to this year’s stand of 200 sq meters. The exhibitors included Sea & Desert Tours, Takens Co, Robban Tourism Services Co, Zawia Travel & Tours, Jannat Tours, Arkino Tours, Tahnou Tours, Jawaher Libya and Libtra Tours. There are 300 travel companies in Libya. Seventy two are licensed to bring in foreigners.
The largest number of tourists are Italian, followed by Germans, British and visitors from other European countries. They are attracted by the magnificent Roman ruins, archaeological sites and desert adventures. The March eclipse brought 7,000 visitors. Sea and Desert Tours is organizing visits to old mosques including Gurgi’s Mosque in Tripoli’s old city and Tripoli’s Karamanli mosque.
“We organized a festival on Mozart’s 250th anniversary at the Roman ruins in Sebrata but in the end the Austrians opted for Jordan”, Nizar Lachtar explained. Libya raised around 200,000 euros from concerts held in Tripoli, Sebrata and Al Baida to assist Lebanon after the latest Israeli bombing.
The implementation of foreign investment law No 5, has facilitated new infrastructure projects such as the new tourist complex in Tripoli built by the Swiss Company Bereko.
Like all Libyan tour operators, Lachtar is supremely confident that the future for Libyan tourism is bright.
“Libya will become the Dubai of the Mediterranean by 2015”, he said brimming with enthusiasm. “It is an emerging destination in the Mediterranean, the hub of Africa and Europe which will be used as the point of departure for African destinations”.
Lachtar’s enthusiasm in matched by that of Ali Shebli of Taknes Co whose business from Europe and China is increasing.
“Private investment in tourism is growing due to government encouragement”. Shebli emphasized that Libya is not cultivating mass tourism but focusing on quality tourism centered around archaeological sites and desert travel.
“Libya is very safe. We don’t have any of the problems of neighboring countries. Nobody bothers tourists, there are no beggars. If a tourist asks a question he will get 20 answers. People are friendly and love talking to new comers.
Abdulhakeem Tweel of Nafitha Tour (A Window on Libya) described the country’s tourist industry as a child of whom more and more will be expected in the years to come.
“It is a large country - 1.775,500 sq kms – and not all the desert heritage sites have been discovered”.
Tweel talks enthusiastically of the future development of desert safaris and car rallies. Nafitha is combining desert trips with archaeological tours. “We take people from the airport, bring them back to the airport and take care of all their travel requirements”, he said.
“Tourism is improving day by day, year by year. It will provide the greatest opportunities for Libya at the end of the oil era if we take care of the industry today. Visitors have told me ‘you have a lot of treasures in Libya but you are stepping on these treasures because you don’t know their great value”.
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