Algeria is stepping up efforts to revitalize its tourism industry, seeking to lure both more local and foreign investment. After years of neglect, however, Algeria’s tourist infrastructure has a long way to go before the country catches up with its neighbors in the Maghreb in becoming a destination of choice. According to figures from the tourism ministry, Algeria attracted 1.74 million visitors in 2008. Nonetheless, more than 1.2 million of these were Algerian expatriate nationals returning home for holidays, with just over 500,000 tourists originating from other countries. By contrast, Tunisia hosted around seven million overseas visitors in 2008 and Morocco eight million, according to official figures, which leave Algeria’s results looking pale in the shade. In the race to develop its tourism amenities, Algeria has set itself the ambitious target of attracting 20 million overseas visitors per year by 2025. To this end, the government has drawn up a
