Ever mindful of the impact of tourism on any nation's economy, the government of Algeria has announced plans to establish a 1,000-man police unit to protect tourist beaches and road safety.Algerian Public Security Chief Commander Muhammad Hamiti was quoted in local media as saying the plan is to secure important security hubs and tourist destinations.
There have been no incidents on the North Africa nation's beaches, but there are fears about the threat posed by armed Islamist groups which oppose women wearing bathing suits in public.
Neighboring Morocco and Tunisia, which like Algeria have extensive Mediterranean coastlines, historically had the lion's share of Western tourism. However, a sharp decline in Islamist-group violence in recent years in Algeria has allowed the country to begin concentrating on the tourism industry.
ON THE WEB
• CIA World Factbook: Algeria
• Arab Net: Algeria
• Dowd's Guides
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