Algeria Launches Major Initiative to Boost Tourism Investment in Coastal Regions
The Algerian Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts has launched a significant initiative aimed at enhancing tourism land management across vital coastal regions, seeking to stimulate investment and bolster local development. Minister Houria Meddahi recently presided over a crucial coordination meeting focused on the purification and valorization of tourism land in the wilayas of Jijel, Skikda, and Oran. This strategic endeavor forms part of the sector's broader efforts to optimize Algeria's land assets, making them readily available through the Algerian Agency for Investment Promotion (AAPI) for projects that contribute to national tourism growth and local economies.
A core component of this operation is the mobilization of Tourist Expansion Zones (ZETs) that are free from constraints and exclusively comprise state-owned properties. The initiative also seeks to regularize the status of both public and private projects already established within these designated zones. To ensure accuracy and effectiveness, the Ministry has directed the preparation of precise, documented reports on areas that may have lost their original tourism designation due to factors such as urban expansion or the allocation of forest and agricultural lands. This process will incorporate updated data from Tourism Development Plans (PATs), cadastral plans, and technical documents, complemented by regular field assessments.
Minister Meddahi further emphasized the importance of finalizing PATs within specified timelines and establishing a robust land portfolio, free of legal and technical impediments, to facilitate investor access. This is projected to significantly accelerate project implementation, generate new employment opportunities, and strengthen local development. The Ministry also highlighted the critical need for protecting tourism land through consistent periodic field monitoring, stringent control measures, and the expedited demarcation of ZETs, thereby enhancing the overall protection of these crucial areas.
To ensure the successful execution of this comprehensive strategy, strengthened coordination is deemed vital among tourism directorates, Domains services, Land Conservation, and local authorities to address and regularize outstanding situations. The Minister also expressed satisfaction with the current dynamic in the tourism sector, underscoring the necessity to intensify efforts to develop domestic tourism and attract Algerian families, given the remarkable assets across the nation's diverse wilayas. She extended her gratitude to the walis, local authorities, and security services for their unwavering efforts in supporting tourism projects and creating favorable conditions for visitors.
