Hundreds of Europeans have made an unprecedented journey across the vast Sahara desert, forming the largest group of tourists to visit Libya in ten years, according to the AFP.
Police sirens echoed around the oasis of Ghadames, as the convoy of dozens of four-wheel-drives ferried the Italian, French, Icelandic, and Swiss tourists who had previously visited Libya.
Ali Kuba, the owner of a private travel agency, organized this, “free trip to allow tourists enjoy the Libyan desert and help break the barrier of fear among many lovers of the Libyan desert.”
“My last time in Libya, I was more than ten years ago. We discovered a wonderful country, exceptional scenery, and very hospitable people,” French tourist Jean-Paul (57 years) told AFP.
“People here are very welcoming and you get the feeling that Libyans really want to see tourists again,” he added.
“We certainly want to go back. Events in the last decade made it impossible to return, but now we were told that we can return on a supervised trip and with a security detail. People always welcome us, and we feel that the people of Libya would like to see tourists again,” he noted.
Italian tourist in his fifties, Giovanni Paolo, says he was, “sure we would be welcome in this wonderful country”.
The tourists spent a night under the stars after arriving in Libya from a border crossing with Tunisia. The next day, they set out to explore southern Libya, its dunes and stones, passing through Ghadames, 650 kilometers southwest of the capital, Tripoli.
Ghadames, known as the “Pearl of the Desert”, is one of the oldest pre-Saharan cities.