Algiers, June 18 (QNA) - HE Algeria's Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts Yacine Hamadi and HE Algeria's Minister of Housing, Urban Planning and City Mohamed Tarek Belaribi discussed with the Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) delegation the investment opportunities in the tourism and real estate sectors.
HE Minister Hamadi gave a comprehensive presentation on tourism and hotel investment opportunities and partnership in the tourism sector, he also spoke about heat stations in the different states, especially the states of the south and east of Algeria.
Also, HE Hamadi stressed that this meeting is an opportunity to value the strong relations already existing between the two countries, as "the two sides renewed their will to strengthen and intensify efforts to develop partnership and cooperation relations in a way that serves the interests of the two countries." He presented a number of areas ready for investment, including the Msida area near Annaba and the Tunisian border, and the Ghar Daya area, in addition to other areas for medical tourism, hotel management, and partnership with the public sector that owns a number of hotels.
HE Algeria's Minister of Housing said, "Today, a new investment law is being studied. the law will allow foreign and Algerian investors to invest freely. We have attractive areas close to airports and transportation is available, and we have a new philosophy to create a new Algeria far from bureaucracy. The goal is to complete projects and overcome obstacles." HE QBA Chairman Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al-Thani suggested the establishment of an integrated touristic city, including a tourist port, and a corniche that attracts visitors through the establishment of a public joint-stock company in which businessmen from the two countries and others interested in Algeria contribute.
He also added that desert tourism, with small hotels in the desert governorates, will have a major role in promoting desert tourism. He stressed that the global trend is to transfer state-owned hotels to the private sector for their management.
The discussions touched on the issue of tourist visas, where the Minister of Tourism indicated that there is a tendency now to cooperate with tourism agencies in order to facilitate visas within 72 hours, and there is a future presidential approach towards the electronic visa.
The two parties agreed to form a working team of technicians to study the available projects to start practically laying the first foundations for investments. The teams included representations from the ministries of tourism and housing. Also, a number of touristic resorts were visited in the capital and the Cherraqa region, also a visit to the city of Ghar Daya to see the existing resorts as well as the city of Wahran, where there are important tourism projects, especially that the city is about to host the Mediterranean Games, where a new solar-powered airport has been opened and considered a precedent in African airports. (QNA)