ALGERIA: TOURIST ATTRACTIONS MARRED BY POLITICAL VIOLENCE
French/Arabic An estimated 75-thousand people have been killed in Algeria since Islamic militants began an insurgency in 1992 after the army cancelled legislative elections set to be won by Muslim fundamentalists. Fresh elections held last week were won by pro-government candidates, but the results have been disputed by the opposition and violence continues to erupt. But local community leaders are confident that once Algeria's political difficulties have been sorted out the country will again attract much-needed tourists. The towering dunes around the Algerian village of Taghit could have come straight from a Hollywood film. But their serenity sits uneasily with the political problems in the country. For the past five years Algeria has been rocked by internal violence in the wake of cancelled elections. An estimated 75-thousand people have lost their lives. And the killing continues. On Tuesday Algerian newspapers reported that 16 people had been slaughtered by an armed gang to the south of the capital Algiers. But deep in the stunning south western desert rural life continues as it has done for centuries. Many remote communities centre around desert oases and nomads still cover hundreds of miles in search of food and water for their precious herds. In more peaceful times, tourism was an important source of income to supplement the often unpredictable returns from agriculture. But the threat of violence in the country has caused travellers to choose other destinations rather than risk death or injury in the volatile North African country. But local community leaders continue to be optimistic - despite the political instability. They hope that once Algeria's political difficulties have been sorted out - the country will again attract tourists. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) "Once peace has returned, investors will be back in the south western corner of Algeria, because we can offer something very beautiful. Once the crisis is over, tourism will expand". SUPER CAPTION: Abdelkader Hamidi, Local Council Member And as well as beautiful desert scenery they also have some very novel activities to offer. Very few of the world's most exclusive skiing resorts can promise year round access to the piste. But in Taghit, enthusiasts can have just that, without fear of catching a chill. Government officials are keen to exploit their country's beauty and the novelties it could offer to the world tourist market. SOUNDBITE: (French) "We want to give new encouragement to show the real image of Algeria. Algerians want to do their best for their future. The amazing dunes around this little village can even offer you the joys of alpine skiing on the sand". SUPER CAPTION: Benarous Zahia, Minister of Culture But despite the obvious attractions of Algeria, it seems that many foreigners will continue to think twice about visiting while uncertainty about the political situation remains so deep-seated. You can license this story through AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/b4e0093ee12ad99afd5a144c306957d1 Find out more about AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
