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| Tourism in Mali fades away as instability leads to hardship | Tourism in Mali fades away as instability leads to hardship |
| (4 months later) | |
| Lounging on the soft, weather-beaten cushions inside a pinasse, one of the wooden handbuilt boats with a wicker canopy that sail along the Niger river, the tourist guide Gorel Sidibe looks out at the city of Ségou. "You see this area? It's empty everywhere." | Lounging on the soft, weather-beaten cushions inside a pinasse, one of the wooden handbuilt boats with a wicker canopy that sail along the Niger river, the tourist guide Gorel Sidibe looks out at the city of Ségou. "You see this area? It's empty everywhere." |
| Ségou, capital of the ancient Bambara kingdom, used to be the start of the tourism trail to northern Mali. From here, tourists would sail along the wide river through the arid lands and dunes to Mopti, Gao and the historical region of Timbuktu where Sidibe would take visitors camel trekking in the desert. | Ségou, capital of the ancient Bambara kingdom, used to be the start of the tourism trail to northern Mali. From here, tourists would sail along the wide river through the arid lands and dunes to Mopti, Gao and the historical region of Timbuktu where Sidibe would take visitors camel trekking in the desert. |
| Since the coup last March that split the country in two and left the north occupied by al-Qaida-linked rebels, and the kidnapping of a French citizen in November, France has enlarged the "red zone", a no-go area for its citizens that now stretches from Mali's northern borders with Mauritania and Algeria to the north shore of the Niger river in Ségou – almost three-quarters of the country. | Since the coup last March that split the country in two and left the north occupied by al-Qaida-linked rebels, and the kidnapping of a French citizen in November, France has enlarged the "red zone", a no-go area for its citizens that now stretches from Mali's northern borders with Mauritania and Algeria to the north shore of the Niger river in Ségou – almost three-quarters of the country. |
| Other foreign embassies followed suit and warn against all travel to Mali, leaving the tourism sector – Mali's third biggest revenue generator – "almost dead", according to Ousmane Ag Rhissa, the tourism minister. | Other foreign embassies followed suit and warn against all travel to Mali, leaving the tourism sector – Mali's third biggest revenue generator – "almost dead", according to Ousmane Ag Rhissa, the tourism minister. |
| In 2011 almost 200,000 tourists visited the country, each spending at least $100 (£62) a day; barely 10,000 visited last year. | In 2011 almost 200,000 tourists visited the country, each spending at least $100 (£62) a day; barely 10,000 visited last year. |
| "The impact is pretty severe," Rhissa said. "Since there are no more tourists coming, there is no income generation." | "The impact is pretty severe," Rhissa said. "Since there are no more tourists coming, there is no income generation." |
| The government has written off as unrecoverable more than a quarter of the targeted revenue for 2012. Spending plans have been slashed and the suspension of donor funding in the form of budget support and project aid has caused a state budget shortfall of $782m (£488m). | The government has written off as unrecoverable more than a quarter of the targeted revenue for 2012. Spending plans have been slashed and the suspension of donor funding in the form of budget support and project aid has caused a state budget shortfall of $782m (£488m). |
| This has exacerbated shortages caused by the Sahel food crisis. Rising gas and food costs – a 100% increase in the price of millet in the last year – are making it harder for struggling businesses to keep afloat. | This has exacerbated shortages caused by the Sahel food crisis. Rising gas and food costs – a 100% increase in the price of millet in the last year – are making it harder for struggling businesses to keep afloat. |
| As the pinasse sails lazily through the city, Sidibe points to Ségou's tourism office looming on the riverbank with its doors locked and gates shut. | As the pinasse sails lazily through the city, Sidibe points to Ségou's tourism office looming on the riverbank with its doors locked and gates shut. |
| Beside the mud building under the shade of acacia trees, thousands of traditional pots crafted by hand from river mud lie waiting for customers – but only one has been sold today. | Beside the mud building under the shade of acacia trees, thousands of traditional pots crafted by hand from river mud lie waiting for customers – but only one has been sold today. |
| As Mariam Sekou surveys the pots stacked up beside her, Sidibe translates for her in his native Bambara language. "I have not seen a tourist since the beginning of year," she says, adding she now tries to sell her pottery to neighbours and friends. | As Mariam Sekou surveys the pots stacked up beside her, Sidibe translates for her in his native Bambara language. "I have not seen a tourist since the beginning of year," she says, adding she now tries to sell her pottery to neighbours and friends. |
| Sekou's husband lost his job at a local school because families like theirs are struggling to pay school fees and in turn teachers are not paid. "If westerners were coming, I could make some profit to help my husband pay for rent, electricity, and provide the family. But it's tough," she says. | Sekou's husband lost his job at a local school because families like theirs are struggling to pay school fees and in turn teachers are not paid. "If westerners were coming, I could make some profit to help my husband pay for rent, electricity, and provide the family. But it's tough," she says. |
| Not far from Sekou's business, Sidibe walks past tourist guides sitting on plastic chairs drinking green tea and playing cards. "We don't know what to do. We all live off tourism," says Aboubakar Balla, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. "When there are no westerners, we just sit. All the youth are unemployed." | Not far from Sekou's business, Sidibe walks past tourist guides sitting on plastic chairs drinking green tea and playing cards. "We don't know what to do. We all live off tourism," says Aboubakar Balla, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. "When there are no westerners, we just sit. All the youth are unemployed." |
| Only a handful of artists are left at the mud-cloth factory, once a hub for artisans to show tourists how to paint bold patterns out of river mud on to hand-woven cotton. | Only a handful of artists are left at the mud-cloth factory, once a hub for artisans to show tourists how to paint bold patterns out of river mud on to hand-woven cotton. |
| "It's an economic crisis," says hotel manager Gino Pelletier, who was forced to lay off 15 staff members at Hotel Djoliba. "One person in Mali can feed 15 family members, so that's 150 people affected right there." | "It's an economic crisis," says hotel manager Gino Pelletier, who was forced to lay off 15 staff members at Hotel Djoliba. "One person in Mali can feed 15 family members, so that's 150 people affected right there." |
| Sidibe looks exhausted, not quite realising how empty and deserted Ségou had become. "People are afraid to come to Mali because of the insecurity all over the country." He too is suffering: Sahara Passion, the travel agency he manages, has closed. | Sidibe looks exhausted, not quite realising how empty and deserted Ségou had become. "People are afraid to come to Mali because of the insecurity all over the country." He too is suffering: Sahara Passion, the travel agency he manages, has closed. |
| His camels in Timbuktu are missing, he is struggling to pay a bank loan he used to buy his third 4x4 vehicle and his own pinasse, moored in Mopti, is being used by fishermen. | His camels in Timbuktu are missing, he is struggling to pay a bank loan he used to buy his third 4x4 vehicle and his own pinasse, moored in Mopti, is being used by fishermen. |
| And after 14 years, with 68 other members of staff, Sidibe has lost his job with Africare. The charity, like other US-funded organisations, suspended operations after the coup last March. | And after 14 years, with 68 other members of staff, Sidibe has lost his job with Africare. The charity, like other US-funded organisations, suspended operations after the coup last March. |
| "I feel sad," he says. "I have no job and I don't know what to do. Every day I'm getting up without knowing what activity to carry out. | "I feel sad," he says. "I have no job and I don't know what to do. Every day I'm getting up without knowing what activity to carry out. |
| "We are losing the business day by day and all this beautiful investment is collapsing." | "We are losing the business day by day and all this beautiful investment is collapsing." |
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