Mauritania is making a cautious comeback as a travel destination after a decade-long tourist drought caused by attacks from armed groups, including al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which peaked with the killing of four French tourists in 2007. The country, a vast, largely desert nation at the crossroads of North and West Africa, saw arrivals collapse after the attacks prompted the relocation of the Dakar Rally and the suspension of charter flights; no further incidents have been reported since 2011. With visa fees slashed and government marketing efforts stepped up, around 7,000 visitors have arrived this year, drawn by landmarks such as the Richat Structure — a 40km-wide geological formation in the Adrar region nicknamed the "Eye of Africa" — though observers note that infrastructure at many sites remains underdeveloped and instability in neighbouring Mali continues to pose a potential risk.