Algerian Radio
The Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, Houria Meddahi, chaired on Saturday in Algiers an evaluation meeting of the 2025-2026 Sahara tourism season. The gathering, which brought together sector directors from several southern wilayas, was dedicated to presenting the activity report and evaluating indicators recorded amid an upward trend.
In this context, the minister revealed that the number of tourists who visited the southern wilayas between January and December 2025 reached approximately 750,000, including nearly 65,000 foreign tourists. As for the 2025-2026 season, spanning from October 2025 to April 2026, it recorded nearly 470,000 tourists, including approximately 47,000 foreigners.
Regarding infrastructure, the minister indicated that "the hotel park in the southern wilayas comprises 258 establishments, offering a capacity of 20,000 beds, with several new establishments entering service in 2025, in addition to the scheduled delivery of 21 projects in 2026 and 27 others currently under construction with a completion rate exceeding 80%."
As part of strengthening tourism supply capacity, Ms. Meddahi also reported the integration of several tourism projects recovered as confiscated assets into the portfolio of the Hotel, Tourism, and Thermalism Group (HTT), particularly in the wilayas of Adrar and Ouargla. This is in addition to a tourist village project under the National Tourism Office (ONAT) in Timimoun, which is expected to be delivered in 2026.
Regarding handicrafts, the minister noted the registration of 12 investment projects in eight (8) wilayas under the 2026 Finance Law, intended for the construction of handicraft houses, centers, and galleries in several southern wilayas.
Ms. Meddahi emphasized that these indicators confirm "the ascending dynamic experienced by the sector" thanks to "the improvement of the investment climate, for which the State has implemented all necessary incentives," reiterating her sector's readiness to accompany all investors.
Furthermore, the meeting was attended by the Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Sid Ali Zerrouki, who co-chaired with Ms. Meddahi the signing ceremony of a partnership agreement between the HTT Group and the mobile operator Mobilis to enhance digital performance within the group's hotel establishments.
The two ministers also presented the first diplomas to several accredited tour guides from various wilayas across the country, as part of an initiative aimed at professionalizing this activity and improving the quality of tourism services.
