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TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN ALGERIA

Visitors are drawn to Algeria by the natural beauty, rich culture, fascinating history and warm hospitality offered by this North African country, and Algeria is becoming increasingly popular as an international tourist destination. With the knowledge that tourism has the potential to contribute significantly on an ongoing basis to the economy of Algeria, authorities place emphasis on the development of the country’s infrastructure and tourism facilities.

Rising oil prices have had a positive effect on the growth of Algeria’s economy, and it is anticipated that this will result in significant returns in the hospitality and tourism sectors, as well as influencing residential development. A growing population that is dominated by youth, strong government support of development, and rising numbers of tourists, are viewed as supporting factors for economic growth.</P.

Algerian tourism has the goal of attracting 3 million tourists by 2013. To ensure that this large number of tourists are given a warm welcome, authorities have been encouraging investments in the development of hotels, as well as improving roads and transportation. The Public Works Authority of Algeria has earmarked $8.2 billion for large public works projects, including the upgrading of the East-West Highway and numerous secondary roadways.

A recent study by the Accor group revealed that there is a need for at least 36 mid-market hotels to accommodate the number of tourists that are expected to visit Algeria. Already many foreign hotel groups, such as Marriott International, are entering the Algerian market and there is room for more foreign investors to take advantage of the growing opportunities in the country.

In addition to the development of tourism, Algerian authorities have plans in place to meet the growing demand for commercial and residential properties. The National Housing Program aims to complete the construction of one million low and middle income housing units by the end of 2009, with ongoing plans to build approximately 130,000 housing units each following year.

According to World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) – a specialized agency of the United Nations that serves as a global forum for tourism-related issues – Algeria has stepped up their total travel and tourism operating expenditure. It is anticipated that, by the year 2017, 1.1 percent of total government spending in Algeria will be devoted to the development of tourism. This is good news for Algerians for whom increased tourism translates into new job opportunities, as well as for tourists who decide to make Algeria their holiday destination.