It is no longer useful to recall the extent of the diversity that Algeria has in terms of landscapes, heritage and culture. This is what makes it a country to visit, so the still very little exploited tourist potential is extremely promising.
Despite its proximity to Europe and its wealth, the country is rarely among the destinations of international travelers. First, it should be noted that the tourism sector as a whole has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years. Secondly, it should be noted that Algeria had not bet on tourism as a sector of activity, and had not made it a real priority.
But this is no longer the case, the Algerian authorities are working to promote Algerian tourism, and are implementing various measures to this end. One of the regions that remains favored by foreign tourists is the Sahara, the south of the country, and in order to exploit the potential of this site, Algeria is taking several initiatives.
Flights from Paris: Air Algérie offers direct flights to Djanet
For several years, a large part of the Algerian Sahara was prohibited to foreign tourists because it was classified as a “red zone”, but in October 2022, the Djanet region changed color on the Quai d’Orsay map and turned orange.
Air Algérie therefore announced the official opening of reservations for its new Paris – Djanet Grace line in a press release made public on the evening of December 6, 2022.
In the process, on Saturday December 17, 2022, a fortnight after the announcement, a direct flight connecting Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Djanet was carried out by Air Algérie. It was at 11 p.m. that the Paris-Djanet flight took off from Paris, to arrive in Algeria, in particular at Djanet, 4 hours later.
The brake, which was the duration of the journey to visit southern Algeria, is now no longer relevant thanks to this new link which allows Paris-Djanet to be made without any stopover.
Algeria: a “new visa” for foreign tourists
Andrew Farrand, senior researcher for North Africa with the Atlantic Council, a think tank specializing in foreign affairs, had already highlighted a very restrictive problem faced by tourists wishing to visit Algeria.
According to National Geographic, he said: “Algeria is one of the most difficult countries to enter and one of the least visited in the world”. He therefore explains that even if the country welcomes around two million official tourists each year, most of these individuals are of Algerian origin. It is indeed members of the Algerian diaspora who return home to visit their families. Foreign tourists, on the other hand, are very quickly hampered by the endless bureaucracy to access Algerian territory, and face many refusals.
To remedy this, the Ministry of the Interior and the local community announced this Wednesday, December 28, 2022 a most promising initiative: a new type of visa for foreign tourists wishing to visit southern Algeria. The announcement was made this Wednesday, December 28 the Ministry of the Interior and the local community.
People wishing to visit southern Algeria can now apply for a tourist visa upon arrival at one of the airports in southern Algeria. The press release therefore states: “Foreign tourists wishing to visit the south of the country with approved national travel agencies can benefit from a visa directly on their arrival at the border posts, in particular in the wilayas of the south (airports and land border crossings) “.
This procedure will be done by travel agencies which will accompany the tourists in all the steps.
