Travel and Tourism in Algeria:
21 April 2014
Travel and Tourism in Algeria:
Security concerns affecting tourism
Whilst the Arab Spring did not have a direct impact on Algeria, there were some significant repercussions in terms of tourism, in light of this market’s proximity to Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Additionally, internal politics, protests and occasional violence were also reported in Algeria early in 2011, which caused concern amongst many. As a result, 2011 was a bad year for tourism, with a decline in inbound and outbound tourism alike. Algerians accustomed to spending holidays in Tunisia preferred staying at home, and many French visitors to Algeria also avoided the country in 2011, including Algerian expatriates.
Ambitious national tourism strategy
The government of Algeria nonetheless remains committed to its national strategy for the development of tourism, in a bid to diversify its economy away from oil and gas revenues. The SDTA (Strategie de Development du Tourism en Algerie) maps out short, mid- and long-term objectives up until the year 2025, with ambitions to double the supply of hotel rooms and develop new touristic centres as well as improve the quality of services. PQTA (Plan Qualite Tourisme Algerie) aims to boost the quality of hotel and other tourism outlets’ services, and although this is moving forward slowly, the government intends to boost efforts to speed up adherence to the programme.
International hotel chains targeting Algeria
Algeria is being earmarked by many international brands for future growth and development. As the country offers a wealth of tourism attractions and is often perceived as a safe haven by investors, some key players like the InterContinental, Mariott and Accor are investing there for the long term. The lack of upscale and quality midscale hotels is also a main driver as there is a significant gap to fill and the current demand does not meet expectations.
Developing a rail network
Amongst the government’s plans for improving travel and tourism in the country are some significant transport infrastructure plans. Some of the most significant plans are for the development of new rail networks, as well as improvement of the existing one, connecting different Algerian regions to each other, and benefiting international linkages with neighbouring Morocco and Tunisia. As driving is often perceived to be hazardous in this country and in and out of the country, rail networks would bring about a much needed and likely lucrative mode of transport.
Attractive niche segments
Algeria is home to a rich culture that is underdeveloped; with seven UNESCO world heritage sites and a very ancient culture and civilisation in Constantine, there are opportunities to market the destination a lot more aggressively. Another important niche category for Algeria is health and wellness tourism, as the country boasts some 270 hot springs that can be leveraged for development of destination spas and hotel and resort spas. These have already started to be rehabilitated and may become usable in the near future, attracting tourists from the region and beyond.
