Tourism
From The Report: Algeria 2017
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Located a short distance from Europe, and with a large and comparatively wealthy population of its own, Algeria is primed to make use of its significant tourism potential. Though the industry remains underdeveloped, particularly in regards to the number of hotel rooms and the cumbersome visa regime, foreign business tourism and niche areas such as spa, desert and ecotourism have strong scope for growth.

This chapter contains an interview with Lazhar Bounafaa, CEO, Groupe Hôtellerie Tourisme Thermalisme.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Stepping up: While the outlook for the sector is positive, challenges remain
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Located a short distance from Europe and with a large and comparatively wealthy population of its own, Algeria is primed to make use of its significant tourism potential. Prospective attractions include 1000 km of largely undeveloped coastline, as well as vast deserts, numerous mountain ranges and countless ancient historical sites. Despite this, tourism as an industry remains underdeveloped as the sector has faced several major obstacles recently, including past conflict, a lack of infrastructure…

Interview

Suite success: Lazhar Bounafaa, CEO, Groupe Hôtellerie Tourisme Thermalisme (HTT), on strengthening Algeria’s tourism offerings
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Interview:Lazhar Bounafaa How would you assess the capacity of the hotel industry as it currently stands? LAZHAR BOUNAFAA: The current capacity of the hospitality sector in Algeria is estimated at 120,000 beds, offered by 1184 hotels, of which 9000 beds fall into the four or five-star category. HTT’s current total capacity is 30,000 beds, and our objective for 2018 is to reach 32,500 with the opening of several new developments, mostly in the mid-tier segment. This range offers room for…

Analysis

Welcome expansion: The burgeoning hotel industry is expected to boost visitor numbers and create jobs
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For many years Algeria hosted only a small number of hotels operated by international chains, with options limited to a handful of establishments, even in the capital. However this has been changing in recent years, with a substantial number of branded facilities having been opened in Algiers and beyond, making for a promising outlook in the sector. French Pioneer The recent wave of openings arguably began in 2009, when French hotel operator Accor opened its first Ibis-branded facility…