Algeria will allow foreign tourists heading to its vast southern desert to obtain visas upon arrival, as part of efforts to “promote tourism in the Sahara,” the Interior Ministry announced on Wednesday.
In a statement, it said that “foreigners heading to the south of the country” who have tours booked with authorized local companies could obtain visas “upon arrival at airports and land borders, rather than going through normal visa procedures.”
Algeria, the largest country in Africa by area, comprises a significant part of the Sahara, including nature reserves and prehistoric sites.
It also has 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) of Mediterranean coastline and several historic cities.
But the North African country receives far fewer tourists than its neighbors Morocco and Tunisia, relying instead on its vast oil and gas revenues.
According to official figures, about half of those who visit the country are Algerians living abroad.
In recent years, however, the authorities have intensified efforts to boost the sector.
The Tassili Reserve, in the south-eastern Djanet Governorate, is a focal point, with sand dunes, mountains and an abundance of birds and wildlife, stretching over 138,000 square kilometers (53,000 square miles).
Earlier this month, a direct flight from Paris arrived in Djanet carrying 64 passengers, the first since service was suspended 12 years ago following the killing of a French tourist by a jihadist group.
