I get the feeling that self drive tourism can happen in the not very distant future
Someone should be a test pilot
I may volonteer...

I am awaiting anxiously. What about reopening the border between Morocco and Algeria too? ;-) Some families have been split for 20 years on each side of the border.... This is Sahara by godsake... ;-)

You mean without an escort? I think that is very unlikely.

Indeed. Basically anywhere South of Touggourt requires a special authorization and an escort.

And last year I couldn't even get a transit visa to cross from Oran to Touggourt / Hazoua (Tunisia). I had to have invitations and hotel reservations.

Likewise - I can't see conditions changing in Algeria for a long time. Not with Libya and N.Mali in a lawless state. Even if Algeria's neighbours had things under control, it would still take years to loosen the requirements to the extent that free travel was possible. These things work like a ratchet - easy to tighten, harder to loosen. It will take an era of stability in the region plus a change of guard in the political circles in Algiers to do away with the current restrictions. To me that constitutes decade(s) not years.

Well why not. Algeria is about to change the old guard. Boutef is near the end.
The Moroccan King is anxious to improve relations with Africa and is currently visiting a slew of countries to improve trade, establish moroccan companies and banks. And Morocco is set to retake their seat in the African Union.
One of the most urgent questions to resolve is the status of Western Sahara.
This and low oil prices will leave Algeria in the dust unless they change their position on Morocco and WS. Open border with Morocco would bring a dramatic change and improve trade and tourism.
There are protest movements in In Salah, Ouargla and Guardaia. Algiers used to throw money on those problems. Now they have to actually do something.
Three reasons behind Algeria’s stagnant tourism industry | Global Risk Insights
And there has been very little terrorist activity in Algeria since In Amenas. Soon four years ago! Some things are improving.

I admit ending the sulk and opening the border with Mk would be a great idea for local trade and tourism [except the hashish would flood into Alg!], but won't it just be a new old pouvoir as keen to repress any type of Spring and maintain hegemony? Look at Egypt.

With the current state of the neighbours there is little to be gained and much to be lost by letting the likes of us wander around this huge country in full autonomy, like we used to pre-2003. How does that benefit the economy of the south? Barely at all.
Escorted desert tourism may recover - then there will be another 'event' and it will retract again for years. South Alg is too big and rough around the edges to allow that to happen. And some European tourists were irresponsible in the old days - imagine how it would be now. After all, we accepted escorts in the Tenere and the Gilf for years before.

Actual local money-making tourism = swish lodgings and resort holidays up north, like Tunisia or Mk, with nearby tourist souks and 'tea with bedouin' excursions. Alg is starting from the ground up on that one (like Libya did) and IMO the northeast is more risky than the south.
The oil price will come round eventually. They just have to sit tight.

Morocco I admit is moving forward. Lots of infrastructure like the big solar plant near Ozt ('interdit' to visit we were told) and plastic bags banned in shops - sort of. Good on Mk but these two countries are poles apart.

Very little terrorist activities since In Amenas could also be interpreted as no one there to attack and/or clamping down hard to return confidence to the petro biz. I suspect Moroccan secret police is the same.

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

I don't know if you're talking about the one not too far from Ouarzazate. I wanted to have a look last year but when asking around Ouarzazate, nobody seemed to know where it was located... ;-)




In terms of domestic security, Morocco as started establishing guidelines in regards of who could be titled "Imam" and what discours can be spread. Wahhabit ideology is no longer permitted, but Morocco can't yet outlaw mosque funding from Saudi Arabia. Malian imams are now trained in Morocco, and taught to preach against rigorist Wahhabism usually spread in Mali...

On the East Coast, Tunisia has voted out the Muslim Brotherhood two years ago, but immediately got plagued by ISIS piling up in Lybia after US/UK/France's attack against Khadafi's sovereign Lybia (well, now Europe greatly misses Khadafi).

Algeria, I don't know what they are doing. Looks like their turmoil started in 1830 with the French colonization and genocide of its population by general Bugeaud, then followed by the bloody war in the 1950s and early 1960s against the French, but haven't yet managed to escape almost two centuries of violence. Algerian secret police not being kind either until these days. Human rights not being high on their list of priorities. So sadly, It will take more years until Algeria opens up to tourism... ;-(

Been reading your posts.

All I can say is that I am dreaming of, one day as soon as possible, been able again to sleep under the stars in the deep Sahara. I was lucky enough to visit south Libya and Algeria in few occasions. Missed Niger and Mali. I hope to be back there soon.

Morocco is beautiful, but south Algeria is another thing.

Nic