Algeria is disturbed by the number of visitors to Morocco

Despite the efforts made by the Algerian government to attract tourists, as it has set goals to increase numbers fourfold and attract 12 million tourists by 2030, the country still faces major challenges that make it difficult for it to compete with Morocco in this field, according to what was confirmed by the British newspaper “Metro”.

The newspaper stated, in an article that highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of Algerian tourism, that the eastern neighbor received about 3.3 million foreign tourists in 2023, almost half of whom (1.2 million) were Algerian expatriates who visited their families.

On the other hand, she pointed out that Morocco received 14.5 million visitors during the same year, “even though it is smaller in size and less wealthy,” noting that “this huge difference highlights the difficulties that Algeria faces in attracting tourists and competing with its neighbor (meaning the Kingdom of Morocco).”

“Despite being described as an ‘undiscovered gem’ due to its magnificent landscapes and rich culture, many travelers remain wary of Algeria for good reason,” she added.

Algeria faces, according to the same source, “a lack of conviction among tourists as a tourist destination,” and this is due to several reasons mentioned, including, in particular, security concerns, which are “one of the biggest obstacles facing tourism in Algeria,” noting in this context a warning. The British Foreign Office has advised its citizens in Algeria to travel to the border areas with Libya, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Tunisia due to the risks of terrorism and kidnapping.

Among the obstacles, Metro also cites the visa system, as visitors to Algeria must go to the Algerian consulate in their country to obtain an entry visa, describing the procedure as “complicated and inflexible.” She pointed out that this strict system may discourage many tourists from choosing Algeria as a tourist destination, although some tour operators offer visa facilitation services as part of travel packages.

On the other hand, the same newspaper alerted, based on statements from tourists who visited Algeria, to the weakness of the tourism and transportation infrastructure, which makes movement within the country difficult, in addition to the need for many tourist sites to be developed and restored.

The Algerian government hopes to compete with Morocco by attracting 12 million tourists by 2030, as the Director General of the Algerian National Tourism Office, Saliha Nasser Bey, said, “To achieve this, we seek, as the tourism and traditional industry sector, to encourage investments, provide facilities to investors, and build tourist and hotel facilities.” . About 2,000 such projects have been approved, and restoration or expansion plans for 249 projects are also being implemented across the country.