Algeria Reinvents Itself As Holiday-Spot
Algeria
is to cut taxes on tourism in a bid to woo
investors, and promote the country as a new holiday
destination.
The
Tourism and Environment Minister Cherif Rahmani
announced that other reforms in the tourism sector
would covers, low-interest bank loans for tourism
investments, reduction in customs tariffs and
given out subsidy on land.
Algeria has few foreign tourists despite thousands
of kilometres of Mediterranean coastline, vast areas
of Saharan desert wilderness, and being a relatively
short distance from Europe.
Attacks by militant groups, coupled with lack of
investment in buildings like hotels and holiday
resorts, have kept visitors away.
The
Algerian government is keen to diversify its
economy, and reduce its dependence on oil and gas,
which accounts for 97 per cent of its exports.
Panos / Ahaziah