Tourism to Africa and the Middle East is heavily dependent on long-haul traffic. Development of speedy air transportation and inclusive tours has given tourism a boost. Its development, however, is hampered by a lack of infrastructure and political instability. Five distinct regions exist: North Africa, the Middle Eastern countries, West Africa, East Africa, and South Africa.
North Africa
From the viewpoint of tourism, North Africa is best described as the countries of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Egypt. The development of the region is an extension south of people's desire for the sun.
Tourism in Morocco has several elements. A number of cruise ships call at Casablanca and Tangier; because of its proximity to Spain by ferry (a two- to three-hour ride) there are many visitors from the northern Spanish coastal resorts who stay from one to three days. Moroccan nationals returning home for visits represent another source of tourists. Then there are the Europeans, primarily the French, who come primarily for the sun, sand and sea of the Mediterranean.
The major coastal resorts of Morocco are Mohammedia in the north and Agadir in the south. Skiing is possible in the Atlas Mountains, which rise to a height of 3.962 kilometers. Visitors are also attracted to the culture of the country. It is a place where two worlds meet, the old and the new. An image of romance and mystery is conjured up by such places as Casablanca and the old walled city of Marrakesh, which was popularized by Sir Winston Churchill.
Most tourism occurs in the summer months, although the climate allows for year-round swimming and sunning. Tourism is the major foreign-exchange earner for Tunisia. Lacking the diversity of attractions of its neighbors, tourism consists primarily of the attractions of its 1,200 kilometers of Mediterranean coast. It relies on package tours arriving by air from Europe, the most important markets being France and West Germany. The country boasts some of the best hotels in Africa. There is a semi-official law that prevents any building being higher than the tallest palm tree.
Tourism in Algeria is under the control of the government. The country is using tourism to bring in foreign exchange and jobs, to encourage balanced economic development to the various regions of the nation, and to revive the old Moorish culture. This latter development is evident in the architecture of the buildings and the revitalization of craft industries to furnish the hotels. Thus, in addition to the typical beach vacation, Algeria is interested in promoting the history and culture of the country. Initiatives have been taken to open up the Sahara to visitors. At various oases, facilities have been built, namely "caravanserai" or small hotels to cater to the short-stay visitor, luxury hotels to appeal to the longer-stay tourist.
Because of Algeria's colonial ties with France, this country sends most of the tourists to Algeria.
Libya's tourist industry is small and is dominated by visits from other Arab countries. The peak season is in the winter. Political instability hampers tourism development.
Although Egypt has both a Mediterranean and Red Sea coast, both coasts are not well developed as far as tourism is concerned. The prime attractions are the archaeological treasures: the Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Temple of Karnak, Ramses II, the City of the Dead. The mosques of Cairo are magnificent, as is the city of Alexandria. Most visitors come from Arab countries. The summer months are the peak tourist season.
Middle East
The Middle Eastern countries are Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Iran and Iraq. The major attraction of Israel is religious. The country contains places that are considered holy to three religions: Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Visitors come on pilgrimages, to visit families who have settled there and to see their Jewish ancestral homeland. The United States is the major tourist-generating country. Since the 1960s the proportion of visitors from North America has decreased while that from Europe has increased.
Almost all visitors go to the Holy City, Jerusalem. Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, and the Negev are also major centers of attraction associated with religion.
A growing number of Europeans travel to Israeli resort areas. Tiberias, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, is a winter resort that features hot springs; Safed is a summer resort. Most tourists arrive in July and August, although there are peaks in March and April (Easter) and December (Christmas).
The Arab-Israeli war in 1967 resulted in Jordan losing land on the West Bank of the Jordan River to Israel, which recovered part of Jerusalem as well as Bethlehem and Jericho. Over 80 per cent of Jordan's hotel accommodations were on the West Bank. Tourism essentially collapsed overnight. Since then attention has been turned to the East Bank. Jordan, called by some "an open-air museum", has a number of outstanding archaeological and historical sites. Chief among these are the ancient "lost" city of Petra, Jarash (a preserved Roman city), Madaba (extensive mosaics), and the Ommayad castles around Amman. Tourism peaks in the winter months.
The majority of visitors to Syria are from the neighboring countries of Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. There are a number of desert palaces and Roman ruins. Damascus features a bazaar with over 3,000 shops.
Tourists from other Arab countries have long visited Lebanon. It is a country that possesses a wonderful climate, pleasant scenery, beaches and mountain resorts offering relief from the heat in the summer and skiing in the winter. There are many historic sites and a tradition of hospitality. Beirut alone once had 120 nightclubs and 14,000 restaurants. But the present political situation and civil war has, obviously, had a negative impact on attempts to encourage tourism, particularly from the West. The central government is not strong. Apart from the political ramifications, from a tourism viewpoint this means that overdevelopment of some prime areas has taken place with corresponding problems of visual and waste pollution.
Turkey is a blend of the cultures of the East and the West. It is a Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Balkan country. Despite its archaeological treasures, tourism development, to date, has concentrated on the coastal regions of Marmara, the Aegean and Levantine seas. Cruise ships account for a large percentage of the visits. If tourism is to develop in a major way it will take the efforts of tour operators. At present Turkey suffers from its distance from major tourist-generating areas and a general lack of knowledge about the country. The leading generators of tourists are West Germany and France. There are a large number of Turkish nationals who work in West Germany. This may well have stimulated interest in Turkey as a vacation destination.
Pilgrimages to the Iranian holy cities of Isfahan and Qom account for a large number of visitors. Additionally, there are numerous sites and museums relating to the Persian Empire to attract the tourist. Iraq also has remnants of former civilizations including the ruins of Babylon, which feature the Hanging Gardens, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Recent hostilities between Iran and Iraq and an anti-Western bias in Iran have put a strain of tourism development.
Much of the flow of tourism in the countries mentioned above is a flow of Arabs to Arab countries. In attempting to revive Muslim traditions there has, in many places, been a desire to discourage visits from the West. Some Arab countries fear the effect that Western tourists will have on their traditional views toward alcohol and women.
Islamic tourism is centered around several themes. There is an attraction to cities. For the traditionalist, there are the mosques, the baths and the bazaars, while the modern Islamic person travels to cities for business. Second, burial pilgrimages for the dead to such holy places as Najaf, Kadhimain, Hebron and Medina are an important travel motivation. To people who live in or by the desert, water is an attraction. To escape the summer heat many travel to the mountains. Finally, family travel is important such as visits to family members abroad or family members returning home.
West Africa. The Ivory Coast offers the best tourism infrastructure of all the areas in West Africa. The most popular months for visitors are March and December. France is the major tourist-generating country. Tourists are attracted to the beaches set amid fishing villages.
Tourism is less important to the other West African countries. Ghana, Nigeria and Zaire can all capitalize on their coastal beaches, bright scenery, and local color and culture.
East Africa. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania offer essentially the same type of tourist attractions. Of the three, tourism is most widely developed in Kenya. Over 40 per cent of the tourists to Kenya come from Europe, principally the United Kingdom, West Germany, Switzerland and Italy. The United States accounts for about 10 per cent of the visitors to Kenya. They come to visit the game parks, the wildlife reserves and the coast. The vast majority of tourists visit the capital, Nairobi. From here the attractions are easily accessible. Photo safaris are popular in Nairobi National Park. A variety of other national parks combine magnificent scenery with animals and birds. Some of these are the Aberdare National Park with the Treetops Hotel set amidst mountain scenery; the Meru Game Reserve, and the Tsavo National Park, the largest national park in the world, which lies midway between the coast and Nairobi. The main road and railway line between Mombasa and the capital cross through it. Over one-fourth of the tourists to Kenya spend some time at the coast. The two principal resorts are Mombasa and Malindi.
While Uganda and Tanzania have beautiful scenery and game parks, tourism has not developed. Lake Victoria is a major resource for sailing and fishing although the major attraction is the Murchison Falls in the national park. The political situation in Uganda and the lack of facilities had a great deal to do with the lack of development there.
Tanzania is the largest East African country. Tourist resources exist in the coastal resorts around Dar-es-Salaam, the northern parks near the Kenyan border, and in the parks and game reserves in the southern part of the country. These resources have not, however, been developed to attract tourists.
The Republic of South Africa. Political problems have tempered the development of tourism in South Africa, even though the country possesses some magnificent resources. The Kruger National Park and the Umfolozi Game Preserve are well known. The country shows its ties to the Afrikaner culture. People on the coast move inland for their vacations; those inland travel to the coast. Spas and country centers exist inland. Mineral waters and hot springs are the source of the spas. Other centers rely on mountains, camping and fishing.
South Africa has 3,220 kilometers of coastal beaches. The chief resort areas are those of the Cape region, particularly those of the Hibiscus Coast.
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