In the maze like streets and alleys of the old town of Casba in Algiers, a local craftsman is dedicated to carving traditional Berber patterns. This used to be a witness of Mediterranean civilization, but now it awaits a new wave of tourism.

Algeria announced a special allocation of 16 billion dinars for the construction of infrastructure in tourism expansion zones. This decision is not a whim, but a crucial step for the country to break free from its dependence on energy exports and diversify its economy.

economic transformation

Algeria is experiencing a profound pain of economic transformation. As an energy powerhouse, fluctuations in international oil prices directly impact its economic lifeline. To revitalize the economy, the government has identified tourism as a key industry for promoting economic transformation and creating social wealth.

Through policies such as high tariffs and import quotas, the government has controlled foreign exchange outflows in the short term, and foreign reserves have rebounded from $61 billion in 2022 to $71.8 billion in 2024. The tourism industry, as a strategic alternative industry, is facing unprecedented policy tilt.

According to the national tourism development strategy, Algeria has set a grand goal of attracting 11 million tourists and providing 300000 beds by 2030. The special allocation of 16 billion dinars this time is an important measure to achieve this strategy.

Resource endowment, raised in the boudoir

Algeria has enormous tourism potential but has not been fully developed. On this largest land in Africa, tourism resources are highly diverse but unevenly distributed.

From the white sandy beaches along the Mediterranean coast, to the vast sand seas of the Sahara Desert, and to cultural relics that carry a thousand years of history, this place can be called a natural tourist museum. The World Cultural Heritage Site of Casba Old Town, Constantine's "African Rome", and the prehistoric rock paintings in Tasili En Ayer National Park are all unique tourist treasures.

This dual endowment of nature and culture provides a solid foundation for the development of cultural tourism, ecotourism, and adventure tourism. The Sahara Desert can develop star observation and desert exploration, while the Mediterranean coast can create high-end coastal resorts, forming a diversified tourism product system.

The road to breaking through the deadlock requires multiple approaches

Faced with the situation of being raised in seclusion, Algeria is embarking on a path of breaking through through through systematic reforms. The government establishes specialized agencies to provide investors with full process services from land allocation to administrative approval.

To simplify the investment process, the Algerian National Investment Promotion Agency has launched a digital platform that allows investors to browse land information, submit applications, and track project progress online. At present, the platform has sorted out 240 tourism sites that have completed supporting construction.

Meanwhile, Algeria actively seeks international cooperation, with China being an important partner. The Algerian Minister of Tourism and Handicraft expressed the hope to learn from China's experience in digitalization of tourism and promote tourism cooperation between the two countries to a higher level.

When the desert of Algeria welcomes camel caravans again, but this time carrying not commercial goods but tourists from all over the world, an ancient civilization is opening its arms to the world through tourism. Family tourism has become a key promotion direction, fulfilling the President's commitment to inclusive tourism services.

In the coming years, with the improvement of infrastructure and optimization of investment environment, this land is expected to grow from a tourist treasure trove to an internationally competitive tourist destination. At that time, Algeria will not only be able to harvest foreign exchange and employment, but also showcase its dual charm of long history and magnificent mountains and rivers to the world. Keywords: the Belt and Road news, the Belt and Road latest information

The road to economic diversification is long, but Algeria has found a pivot for transformation through the tourism industry. When the first batch of large-scale international tourists set foot on this land, the world will witness how an ancient country is revitalized through tourism.Editor/Cheng Liting