Tunisian officials keen to save Star Wars set from the sands of time

Tunisian officials are reaching out to Star Wars fans to help them save the set of Tatooine from sinking into the desert. Sand erosion is threatening to destroy the tourist attraction, which has featured in multiple Star Wars movies, but the Tunisian tourism ministry bosses and the Tourism Chamber for the Oasis and Sahara regions are hoping to raise funds to halt the disappearance of Tatooine, located in Mos Epsa.
Tourism boss Nabil Gasmi tells ABC News, “Mos Epsa is located in a very windy region, threatened by sand dunes which the wind moves by around 15 metres a year. One dune has already buried 10 per cent of the Star Wars site. We managed to remove 8,000 cubic metres of sand in 12 days. Unfortunately some of the set has already collapsed.”
Officials have allocated $107,000 (£67,000) to the preservation project, but the tourism chiefs are hoping fans of George Lucas’ Star Wars franchise can help them raise an extra $45,000 (£28,100) via an Indiegogo project online, titled Save Mos Espa.
Donors who offer up $1,000 (£625) will have their names carved on a special commemorative panel that will rest near the Mos Espa location.