The Directorate of Tourism and Handicrafts (DTA) is working, thus, to achieve a promising tourism development in this region of the southeast of the country, opening to investment, a prerequisite to achieve this goal.

To do this, development work of three areas of tourist expansion (ZET), two located in the town of Nezla totaling an area of 35 hectares and another 14 hectares in the town of Témacine, are being completed, said AP.According to the APS, the director of the sector, Abdelhakim Yahia, revealing that the reception of these new ZET, intended to accommodate tourism investments, is scheduled for the coming months.

According to the balance of the sector, 24 projects have been approved by the local investment commission, he said.

In order to attract investors, the DTA is committed to ensuring all favorable conditions, the objective being to make more attractive the tourist destination of Touggourt, which has many natural and cultural potentialities, in addition to its geographical position, linking East, Center and Far South.

The increase in accommodation capacity is among the priorities of the sector, and this, to best meet the needs of tourists wishing to stay in the wilaya, which has, since the launch of the current season of Saharan tourism, experienced an influx of over 18.000 national tourists and some 500 foreigners, he revealed.

Currently, the wilaya of Touggourt, which has a deficit in terms of accommodation facilities, has five (5) hotels with an overall capacity of 279 beds.

Among the measures taken to reduce pressure on existing hotel facilities, a program has been established to anchor the culture of bivouac in oasis, through the development of sites and spaces dedicated to this activity.

Efforts are also made to develop and generalize the formula of accommodation in the home, encouraging citizens to participate in this approach to promote Saharan tourism, especially since this formula has proven its effectiveness in several wilayas with tourist vocation.

To promote tourist circuits and enhance the natural, cultural and heritage assets in the wilaya, the DTA plans, moreover, the realization of an animation program including documentaries on tourist sites and a digital tourist directory in several languages.

A house of traditional crafts in perspective

Regarding the support mechanisms and support selected for artisans to enhance the local product, the sector has recorded a project to build a house of traditional crafts in the wilaya of Touggourt.

Once operational, it will provide the necessary support to local artisans and best meet their expectations in terms of training, exhibition and marketing of their products and know-how.

The establishment will offer the general public an opportunity to discover the diversity of crafts and various trades in Touggourt, where more than 2.800 artisans working, among others, in the fields of traditional embroidery, leather goods and basketry based derivatives of the date palm, said the Director of Tourism and Handicrafts.

The wilaya of Touggourt contains many natural tourist potentialities, such as sand dunes, palm groves and wetlands, a heritage ksourien spread across the regions of Témacine El-Angel.gions of Témacine El-Alia, El-Harihira, Tala, the Zaouïa Tidjania in Témacine, which is a center of Sufi religious influence, as well as a rich cultural heritage, civilizational legacy and popular.

Source: www.aps.dz