An African country is redoubling its efforts to attract tourists, hoping to quadruple numbers by 2030.
Algeria is a country which boasts a stunning natural beauty and rich history, and is very much an affordable destination.
The giant North African country offers Roman and Islamic sites, beaches and mountains just an hour’s flight from Europe.
Additionally, the country has vast Saharan landscapes, where visitors can sleep on dunes under the stars and ride camels with Tuareg nomads.
However, the country is still more or less undiscovered by travellers to the continent.
Despite Algeria being named as “safe” for Brits, The UK government warns against all travel to within 30km of Algeria’s borders with: Libya, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and parts of Tunisia, according to the Foreign Office website.
While its neighbour Morocco attracted 14.5 million tourists in 2023, only 3.3 million visited Algeria.
About 1.2 million of these were Algerians from families living abroad, according to official statistics.
One possible reason for a lack of visitors is the country’s past reputation for political upheaval and violence that was acquired during the 1990s.
With the security situation much improved, the government is now going all out to put Algeria back on the tourist’s map.
To do that, officials will need to simplify its visa system and improve transport links, as well as encourage both domestic and foreign investment in the sector, according to analysts.
Saliha Nacerbay, General Director of the National Tourism Office, outlined plans to attract 12 million tourists by 2030.
“To achieve this, we, as the tourism and traditional industry sector, are seeking to encourage investments, provide facilities to investors, build tourist and hotel facilities,” she said, speaking at the International Tourism and Travel Fair, hosted in Algiers from May 30 to June 2.
Algeria has plans to build hotels and restructure and modernise existing ones. The tourism ministry said that about 2,000 tourism projects have been approved so far, 800 of which are currently under construction.
The country certainly has much to captivate the visitor, including the famous Roman ruins of Timgad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Travellers should also explore the Casbah d’Alger, an ancient citadel with breathtaking views of the Mediterranean.
The country is also home to some of the oldest and most extensive rock art in the world.
The Tassili n’Ajjer National Park has an impressive display of rock art, which dates back to the Neolithic period.
The local cuisine is not to be missed, offering a fusion of Berber, Arab, and French influences. It is known for its flavoursome dishes, such as couscous, brik, and tajine jelbena.
