It's not been detailed here much, but in the last few months the tourism ministry has tried to impose new procedures on agencies in an attempt (AFAIU) to make them all more accountable and responsible (and possibly taxable).
So you can see how the agencies feel they are getting it from both ends - AQIM activities and now new govt regs.
Having said that, the agencies do seem to have a bit of a blind spot for '2003' (mass kidnapping - border-to-border agency escorts imposed soon after). That finished off desert tourism as we knew it in Alg, but it must have been a bit of a bonanza for those agencies that could get the escort work which followed.
I think tourism is seen as one of the few ways of making money/getting work legitimately in the south, which is now seen as being disrupted by northerners (govt), closure of Tassili-Hoggar and the fact that the French 'FCO' recently put Alg on its black list which ended all fly-in tours.
Along with recent kidnapping, all a great shame as the place has so much potential - especially with Libya as it is and should the Mk border open to foreigners.
Ch
|