Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the consequences of the current conflict in Mali on people dependent on the tourist industry. The collapse of the tourist industry in Mali highlights the economic dependence of a number of players on the industry, all of whom are having to re-deploy their skills to survive the current crisis.

Paper long abstract:

This paper explores the consequences of the current conflict in Mali, West Africa, on people dependent on the tourist industry.

Since the 1990s, Mali had been an increasingly popular tourist destination for both European (predominantly francophone) and American audiences. In the last 10 years, growing numbers of Chinese and Japanese tourists were also visiting the country. Through its World Heritage sites, Mali fulfilled the desire for 'pristine' African culture (Dogon Country), desert adventure (Timbuktu) and architectural sophistication (Djenné). A number of cultural and music festivals had also successfully put Mali on the West African tourist map. UNESCO and other international heritage agency had spent considerable time and money on cultivating a professional class of heritage and tourism professionals as an explicit tool for economic development.

Given the uncertain future of the tourist industry, this paper will question the consequences of relying on tourism for economic development. It will identify the ways in which tourism has provided some resilience during the current conflict and the potential future of the industry given the difficult years ahead.