The renovation and modernization of public hotels in Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria, have been ongoing for nearly three years but have encountered substantial delays. As another summer season begins, none of the hotels are expected to be fully ready for operation. The projects, managed by the ETK and EGTC, include several prominent hotels in the region.
According to La Dépêche de Kabylie, the ETK-managed projects, including Lalla Khedidja, Beloua, and the Bracelet d'argent d'Ath Yenni, have an advancement rate of 70 to 85 percent. These hotels are slated for completion by September. However, other hotels, such as those in Tamgout, Amraoua, and Tala Guilef, managed by the EGTC, have shown less significant progress.
The renovation of the El Arz hotel in Tala Guilef, which cost 422 billion centimes, has only reached a 20 percent completion rate. Initially, only two blocks were expected to be ready by December 2019. This hotel had 550 beds before it was damaged by terrorists in 1994. The Amraoua hotel, another key tourist facility in the region, has also only reached a 20 percent completion rate.
The Amraoua hotel's renovation is expected to be finalized within 12 months. However, work on the Tamgout hotel in Yakouren has come to a halt. The contract with the construction company has been terminated, and the process of selecting a new company and restarting the project will be necessary. A total of six hotels have benefited from a 1,315 billion centime modernization and renovation program.
For the 2019 summer season, eight beaches have been authorized for swimming. Plans to open additional beaches in Tigzirt and Azeffoun were postponed to the next summer season due to a lack of time and resources. Despite damage from winter storms, the director of tourism has confirmed that one affected beach is now operational.
Local authorities have expressed concern over the delays in hotel renovations. Mme Madi, president of the agriculture, fishing, hydraulics, and tourism commission, recently met with the director of tourism, Rachid Ghedouchi. They discussed the need for immediate action to mitigate the effects of the delays and announced plans for on-site inspections of beaches and hotels.
The region expects 10 million tourists and visitors this summer, but its current accommodation capacity is limited to 1,000 beds. To address this, 15 new tourism infrastructure projects are planned, which will increase the region's accommodation capacity by 1,642 beds.
Key points
- The renovation of Tizi-Ouzou's public hotels has been significantly delayed, with some projects only 20 percent complete.
- The region's accommodation capacity is limited, with only 1,000 beds available for the expected 10 million tourists and visitors this summer.
- A new program aims to increase the region's accommodation capacity by 1,642 beds through 15 new tourism infrastructure projects.
