The government of Algeria is expected to announce on August 20 the tender for the renovation and rehabilitation of six four- and five-star hotels in West Algiers, a project that is estimated to cost around USD 1 billion, a government source told Zawya.
"The process will determine the foreign partner who will assist the ministry of tourism and traditional industries of Algeria in the renovation project, which is scheduled to be concluded within a year," said Mohamed Al Saleh ben Aakmoum, director of tourism for the province of Algiers.
He added that the government plans to complete 713 projects in the hospitality sector over the next two years, including the construction of 484 hotels in major cities such as Algiers, Oran, Annaba and Constantine, as well as 230 tourism projects in the desert area.
"Using foreign expertise to renovate hotels is a great move for Algiers," said Massoud Mejitna, an economics professor at the University of Algiers. "It allows [the province] to compete against luxury hotels across Europe, which will help bring more tourists into the country."
The Algerian government aims to increase the total number of tourist arrivals to 3.5 million by the end of 2013. By developing the country's tourism sector, it also hopes to bring international best practice to the local hospitality industry, as well as promote knowledge and technology transfer in the country.
© Zawya 2013
