Libya Tourism

Through its Tourism and Investment Promotion Authority (TIPA) headed by President Qadhafi's daughter Aicha, Libya is spending $2 billion on infrastructure and facilities to attract one million tourist visitors to the country by 2005. This should not be an impossible task when one considers what the country has to offer in terms of long stretches of unexplored coastline, beautiful landscapes and numerous ancient Roman sites; access to which can at present be provided via the country's four international airports at Tripoli, Tobruk, Sirte and Benghazi. Major construction projects can be anticipated as the authority seeks to build a series of new hotels throughout the country to meet an officially estimated 60,000 bed shortfall in accommodation. In addition to hotel building, TIPA wants to attract international developers to enter into joint ventures projects at nine separate locations to construct a range of tourist facilities. The unspoilt greenfield sites chosen for their historic, archaeological and natural beauty, are to be aimed at the sophisticated visitor with specialist interests.