Joined: 05 Oct 2005
Posts: 315
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By Salah Sarrar
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - France will help Libya expand its under-developed tourism industry as the North African country emerges from over a decade of isolation, a Libyan government official said. Under a deal signed this week, French tourism development agency ODIT France will offer technical assistance for 17 new tourist investment zones along 180 kilometres (110 miles) of coast near the eastern town of Tubruq, said Ali Fares, secretary of Libya's tourist development authority. The contract also covers a 20 kilometre-long area to be developed at Sabratah in the west. Libya cast off international ostracism in 2003 when it accepted responsibility and began paying compensation for the bombing of airliners over Scotland and Niger in 1988 and 1989. The oil-rich country has a wealth of ancient Greek and Roman ruins along a mostly unspoilt 2,000 kilometres of coastline and the interior offers pristine desert scenery and ancient sites, sand dunes and mountains. It has become an appealing offbeat destination even though tourists have a long wait for visas and a poor transport infrastructure makes it hard to travel around independently. Fares told Reuters in an interview he expected a big increase in visitors this year, especially those stopping off on cruises. Numbers remain comparatively small -- while Morocco and Tunisia receive over 6 million tourists each per year, Fares said Libya had 600,000 in 2006. "This number is seen as a promising sign, despite the lack of infrastructure and the shortage of hotels," he said. He said tourism projects worth 4 billion dinars were under way, ranging from foreign to joint and local investments. Last August, United Arab Emirates firm Tameer Holding said it signed a deal for a residential and tourism development near the Libyan capital Tripoli. |
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