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Sucdi Abdul Fattah Abdul Khader works alongside her father and a team of guides to escort visitors around Mogadishu’s beauty spots, historic locations and cultural venues, a BBC report published on November 7, 2026, detailed. She posts videos of these tours on TikTok to offer international viewers scenes of golden sands, palm-fringed shores and bustling markets that contrast with longstanding media portrayals. Abdul Khader told the BBC she aims for people to encounter the beautiful and welcoming side of the city instead of the explosions and bombs often featured in coverage.
The BBC report noted that Abdul Khader is part of a small but expanding group of local guides building on earlier efforts by her father while expanding reach through digital platforms. She has discussed producing English-language content to connect with audiences beyond Somali speakers. Her approach aligns with broader attempts by young Somalis to reframe narratives about the capital through personal storytelling and imagery.
Somalia’s tourism department figures show roughly 10,000 people visited the country in 2024, marking a 50 percent increase from the previous year. Tourism minister Daud Aweis Jama told AFP that the total could double in 2025, with arrivals mainly from China, the United States and Turkey. The sector already supports around 30,000 jobs, according to government statements reported by multiple outlets including CNN and Dawn in November 2025.
Attacks in Mogadishu have fallen 86 percent since 2023 thanks to added surveillance cameras, roadblocks and plainclothes policing, Somali authorities have reported. Western governments including the United States and Britain maintain do-not-travel advisories citing terrorism, kidnapping and other risks, a position echoed in CNN coverage from November 2025. Visitors who proceed often describe feeling safer on the ground than expected, with many tours incorporating armed escorts as standard procedure.
A construction boom driven by returning diaspora members and investors has added hotels, restaurants and residential projects across Mogadishu, the BBC assessment found. The country possesses mainland Africa’s longest coastline, exceeding 3,000 kilometres along the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, creating scope for expanded beach and eco-tourism offerings. Abdul Khader’s itineraries frequently feature Lido Beach and traditional markets to emphasise these natural and cultural assets.
James Willcox, founder of adventure tour operator Untamed Borders, told CNN that demand has accelerated, with the company running 13 group trips to Mogadishu in 2025 compared with two the year before. Similar perception-shifting initiatives have appeared in past coverage, including a 2021 BBC feature on female Somali photographers who sought to normalise women capturing public images in the city. These collective endeavours coincide with government moves to upgrade roads, launch an e-visa system and promote the industry as a vehicle for economic growth and image rehabilitation.
