A boom in North African tourism sees more countries open up to visitors

International

North Africa is receiving a record number of tourists across all regions, from the traditional tourism powerhouses such as Morocco and Egypt, to the harder to reach corners, such as Algeria, Libya and Mauritania.

Now Untamed Borders, is launching new group adventures to the South of Libya later this year, along with a new tour to Mauritania in 2026.

It comes as more traditional destinations in North Africa are seeing a boom in interest, including Morocco. The popular nation received 17.4 million tourists in 2024, up 20% on 2023 and those numbers look likely to increase further, with February 2025 visitor numbers up 24% on the previous year.

Neighbouring Algeria is certainly taking note of the Morocco tourism success story, recently introducing its own e-visa system. The move already seems to be bearing fruit, with a 10% increase in visitors in 2024, compared to 2023 – up to 3.5 million.

Untamed Borders has organised group trips to Algeria for a number of years, with the government now outlining grand plans to try and attract 12 million people a year by 2030.

The long established sector in Egypt, also received a record number of tourists in 2024, although its total was surpassed by Morocco. However, in July the new Grand Egyptian Museum is set to fully open to the public, which will become the largest archaeological museum on earth. The showcase site is expected to create a spike in visitors.

With more and more people visiting the more established tourist sites in the region, finding a truly unique experience, away from the crowds, is proving to be more challenging.

Saharan tourism is a big draw for many in Morocco and Egypt, and will be in the future too in Algeria. However, there are still vast swathes of the desert, which rarely see any visitors at all, these include in Libya, Mauritania and Chad.

Chad has recently introduced a new e-visa system, to try and capitalise on the tourism interest in the area, as has Mauritania and Libya has made it easier for people to visit the country too.

James Willcox is the Founder of Untamed Borders:

“The people and places that sit in the great sand sea of the Sahara are as timeless as the dunes themselves — shaped by wind, trading history and endurance.

North Africa contains many rarely visited landscapes and communities, who have fascinating stories and histories, with their lives tracing ancient trade routes, mountain paths, and desert horizons.

It’s our aim at Untamed Borders to take guests to these more challenging locations and uncover the hidden corners, where you can truly enjoy authentic Saharan experiences, without a large number of other people.”

In November Untamed Borders is taking guests on a brand-new group trip to the far South of Libya, visiting the incredible Oases of Ubari, along with the desert town of Ghat, the mighty Jebel Acacus mountains, ancient desert pyramids and much more. The company already organises regular group trips to the North of Libya.

It’s also embarking on a new group adventure to Mauritania in 2026, where guests will ride the famous Iron Ore Train, visit the natural phenomenon known as the “Eye of Africa”, traverse huge dunes and spend time with nomadic communities.

Private trips are also available to Chad, Niger, Mali and Tunisia, along with all our other group trip destinations.