Tourism in Somalia Tourism in Somalia Tourism in Somalia is regulated by the Federal Government of Somalia's Ministry of Tourism. The industry was traditionally noted for its numerous historical sites, beaches, waterfalls, mountain ranges and national parks. After the start of the civil war in the early 1990s, the Tourism Ministry shut down operations. It was re-established in the 2000s, and once again oversees the national tourist industry. The Mogadishu-based Somali Tourism Association (SOMTA) provides on-the-ground consulting services. In the pre-independence period, European explorers would occasionally travel to Somalia and other parts of the Horn of Africa to visit the region's numerous historical
Somalia at the Olympics Mohamed Aboker, Jama Awil Aden in track events and Abdullah Noor Wasughe in the high jump. Somalia was eligible to compete at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, but joined with 28 other countries in a boycott. This was after the IOC allowed New Zealand to participate in the Games, despite the breach of the international sports boycott of South Africa by the nation's rugby union team shortly before the Olympics. The majority of the 28 countries in the Olympic boycott were African nations. Prior to the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Soviet Union, Somalia once again joined