Algeria to offer Sahara tourists visas on arrival

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Algeria will allow foreign tourists heading to its vast desert south to obtain visas on arrival as part of efforts to “promote tourism in the Sahara”, the interior ministry announced this week.

In a statement, it said that “foreigners heading to the south of the country” who have tours booked with licensed local companies could obtain visas “on arrival at airports and land borders, instead of going through normal visa procedures”.

Algeria – Africa’s biggest country by surface area – comprises a major chunk of the Sahara, including nature reserves and prehistoric sites.

It also boasts 1 200 kilometres of Mediterranean coastline and several historical cities.

But the North African country hosts far fewer tourists than its neighbours, Morocco and Tunisia, relying instead on its vast oil and gas revenues.

source: IOL