🇩🇿AlgeriaNorth Africa
Algeria's visa on arrival program attracts 39,000 tourists in two years, boosting southern regions
via Algérie3603 min read
Since its launch in 2023, Algeria's visa on arrival program has attracted nearly 39,000 foreign tourists from 120 different nationalities. This initiative, available to visitors of the Grand South traveling through approved agencies, has stimulated the local economy and created jobs in the southern wilayas. The Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, Houria Meddahi, convened a coordination meeting to assess the program's impact and identify ways to enhance Algeria's appeal, particularly in its Saharan regions. The mechanism, established by presidential decision in 2023, allows foreign tourists to obtain their visa directly at border posts upon arrival, provided they use an approved Algerian tourism agency. The agency submits the visa application via digital platforms before the visitor's physical arrival, with the visa duration matching the planned stay. Meddahi emphasized that this program is crucial for facilitating access to Algeria, strengthening the attractiveness of the Saharan destination, and diversifying target tourist markets. The presence of these 39,000 tourists has generated significant local economic activity in accommodation, transport, guiding, and handicrafts, creating direct and indirect jobs for local populations. The diversity of nationalities, totaling 120, indicates a broad geographical reach, attracting travelers from traditional European markets as well as new Asian and African clienteles to sites like Djanet, Tamanrasset, and Timimoun. This aligns with A
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