Algerian Radio
The Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, Mrs. Houria Meddahi, chaired a coordination meeting this Monday dedicated to evaluating the "visa on arrival" mechanism for foreign tourists visiting Algeria and enhancing the attractiveness of the desert tourism destination, according to a ministry statement.
During the meeting, Mrs. Meddahi noted that the visa on arrival mechanism, approved by the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, in 2023 for foreign tourists heading to southern wilayas, has yielded positive results since its launch, benefiting "nearly 39,000 foreign tourists from 120 different nationalities."
She also pointed out that this measure aligns with the national strategy aimed at developing sustainable tourism and making it a genuine pillar for local economic development.
The Minister reviewed the key outcomes and recommendations resulting from the working meeting held on June 14, which involved representatives from various ministerial sectors and relevant bodies. That meeting had been dedicated to evaluating the application of this mechanism, identifying recorded shortcomings, and proposing solutions to improve it.
In this context, she emphasized that the upcoming phase "requires moving to a higher level of coordination and professionalism, ensuring the simplification of procedures, elevating the quality of services provided to foreign tourists, and building the confidence of tourism operators."
To this end, Mrs. Meddahi issued a series of instructions requiring the "preparation of monthly evaluation reports, in coordination with tourism and travel agencies, featuring precise indicators on the visa-on-arrival issuance process and the difficulties encountered, while proposing measures to improve it."
The instructions also applied to provincial directorates, which "were mandated to maintain permanent coordination with accredited tourism and travel agencies active in receptive tourism, designate an official representative for each agency, identify the contracted accredited tour guides, and send the updated lists to the ministry's central departments."
On this occasion, the necessity of organizing training courses for representatives of tourism and travel agencies as well as tour guides was stressed. These courses, held with the participation of the concerned sectors, will cover "first aid, foreign languages, legislation and regulations governing tourism activity, and mechanisms for hosting foreign tourists." Similar courses will also be organized for reception staff at hotel establishments and various stakeholders in the tourism service chain.
According to the same source, the instructions further included organizing a national evaluation meeting bringing together all tourism and travel agencies active in receptive tourism, with the aim of "conducting a comprehensive assessment of the application of the visa on arrival mechanism, exchanging successful experiences, and drawing up a practical action plan to increase the number of foreign tourists arriving in the southern wilayas."
