A New Light on Libya

摘要

"Iam very happy, as the people will bring money, and business will be good." These are the words of a cook 1 meet in Libya, plying his trade to the infrequent adventure travellers as they work their way south from Tripoli, the country's capital, to the Sahara desert. He isn't quite so excited about the event that is expected to bring these people to Africa's fourth largest country: a total eclipse of the sun. After all, he has seen plenty of them already - Libya is good eclipse-viewing territory. However, his upbeat mood reflects a feeling 1 get across the country. Apart from the financial benefits that increased tourism will bring, it seems that, at long last, Libya will be associated with something other than the Lockerbie bombing or its tense relations with the Middle Last. The nascent tourism industry is busy preparing camps, vehicles and guides to accommodate the large numbers of visitors expected.