You may not have considered holidaying in Algeria, but the North African country is hoping you won’t write it off just yet. Just 3.3 million foreign tourists visited Algeria in 2023, an estimated 1.
2 million of whom were Algerians from the disapora seeing their families. Meanwhile, tourist-friendly Morocco welcomed 14.5 million – despite the fact it’s a smaller and less wealthy nation.
Algeria’s government is now looking to rival its neighbour, setting targets to increase numbers fourfold and attract 12 million tourists by 2030. Saliha Nacerbay, general director of the National Tourism Office, said: ‘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.’ Around 2,000 such projects have been approved, and restoration or expansion plans are also underway for 249 around the country.
But although it’s been described as an ‘undiscovered gem’ due to its gorgeous landscapes and rich culture, many travellers are still wary of Algeria – and for pretty good reason. As well as safety concerns, issues like an inflexible visa system and poor transport links have been flagged by analysts, with French tourist Patrick Lebeau commenting: ‘Obviously, there is a lot of tourism potential, but much work still needs to be done to attract us.’ So what do you need to be aware of before taking a trip to Algeria, and why is it worth a spot on your list o.