Algeria aims to entice travelers to overlooked scenic and cultural treasures

In an effort to overcome its reputation as a tourist backwater and grow an industry that is dwarfed by rivals in neighboring Morocco and Tunisia, Algeria seeks to entice more travelers to the artistic and scenic wonders of the largest country in Africa.

Situated just one hour’s flight from Europe, the vast country in north Africa provides beaches and mountains, as well as Roman and Islamic ruins. Its haunting Saharan landscapes allow travelers to sleep under the stars on dunes and ride camels with Tuareg nomads.

However, the tourism ministry reports that whereas tourist-friendly Morocco saw 14.5 million visitors in 2023, larger and wealthier Algeria only saw 3.3 million foreign visitors.

Approximately 1.2 million of those vacationers were Algerians living abroad who were visiting relatives.

The dearth of visitors is evidence of Algeria’s disregard for a market that is yet one of the unexplored jewels of global tourism.

Subsequent governments in Algeria lost interest in promoting mass tourism as the country’s oil and gas earnings increased in the 1960s and 1970s. The 1990s saw a decline in political unrest that took the nation even more off the path.

Although security has significantly improved, experts note that in order for tourism to grow, Algeria must address its rigid visa requirements, inadequate transportation infrastructure, and offer incentives to both domestic and foreign private businesses.

The National Tourism Office’s General Director, Saliha Nacerbay, presented intentions to bring in 12 million visitors by 2030, an ambitious fourfold increase.

Speaking at the International Tourism and Travel Fair, held in Algiers from May 30 to June 2, she stated, “To achieve this, we, as the tourism and traditional industry sector, are seeking to encourage investments, provide facilities to investors, and build tourist and hotel facilities.”

Algeria intends to construct new hotels as well as renovate and update current ones. According to the ministry of tourism, around 2,000 tourist-related projects have been approved thus far, 800 of which are presently being built.

Along with revitalizing its historical monuments, the nation has designated 249 sites for increased tourism. According to officials, rehabilitation plans are in the works for 50 more locations, and about 70 sites have already been prepared.

Patrick Lebeau, a French traveler, emphasized that in order to fully realize Algeria’s tourism promises, infrastructure improvements are necessary.

“Obviously, there is a lot of tourism potential, but much work still needs to be done to attract us,” Lebeau stated.

Algeria had 543,500 employments related to tourism and travel in 2021, according to the Statista website. On the other hand, Moroccan tourism experts estimate that the industry supports 700,000 direct jobs in the kingdom in addition to numerous indirect jobs.