- Title: ALGERIA: SAHARA TREK ILLUSTRATES ALGERIA'S VAST TOURIST POTENTIAL.
- Date: 14th March 1969
- Summary: DESERT AND HILL-TAMANRASSET: SIGN: HERMITAGE AT ASSEKREM: ROAD BETWEEN TAMANRASSET AND DJANET: SIGN- INDICATING TROPIC OF CANCER: TOURISTS AND BROKEN DOWN TRUCK: TOURISTS BUY SUPPLIES: JEEP PUSHED OVER SAND DUNE: TOWN OF DJANET: TRIBESMAN AND DONKEY: TRIBESMEN PLAY GAME WITH STONES: DESERT SCENES AND RUINED BUILDINGS. Initials GHB/VS/JF/LAD Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 29th March 1969 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SAHARA DESERT, ALGERIA
- Country: Algeria
- Reuters ID: LVA8QGSOW8P4O079YTY8W6NEDUI
- Story Text: ALGERIA'S VAST TOURIST POTENTIAL, WHICH UNTIL RECENTLY HAS HAD TO MAKE WAY FOR MORE VITAL INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS, IS CURRENTLY RECEIVING PRIORITY ATTENTION FROM THE GOVERNMENT. ALGERIAN HAS A 750-MILE (1,222 KILOMETRES) COAST LINE ALONG THE MEDITERRANEAN, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEASIDE RESORTS IS ONE MAIN CONSIDERATION. ANOTHER IS TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE ATTRACTIONS OF THE SAHARA - THE WORLD'S LARGEST DESERT, LAND OF LEGEND, OF THE WANDERING NOMAD, OF CAMEL-MOUNTED LEGIONNAIRES. THIS FILM RECORDS A RECENT TREK THROUGH THE WILD AND MOUNTAINOUS AHAGGAR REGION OF THE SAHARA, AND SHOWS MANY OF THE FASCINATING AND HISTORIC FEATURES OF THE DESERT WHICH ARE ON THE WAY TO BECOMING TOURIST ATTRACTIONS.
THE EXPEDITION STARTED OUT FROM TAMANRASSET, IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE ALGERIAN SAHARA, AND STRUCK OFF MAIN ROUTES NORTH-EASTWARDS TO CROSS THE PEAKS OF ASSEKREM ON A JOURNEY THROUGH SANDY TRAILS AND ROCKY PASSES TO DJANET - A TOTAL OF ABOUT 450 MILES (700 KILOMETRES).
AMONG THE MANY PLACES VISITED WAS THE HERMITAGE AT ASSEKREM, FOUNDED BY THE FRENCH EXPLORER AND MISSIONARY FATHER CHARLES FOUCAULD WHO WAS MURDERED IN TAMANRASSET IN 1916. THE PARTY CROSSED THE TROPIC OF CANCER, MET TRAVELLING TOUAREG TRIBESMEN AND GAINED A FIRST HAND IMPRESSION OF THE LIFE OF THE INHABITANTS OF VILLAGES SCATTERED AMONG THE GORGES AND PLATEAUX.
DJANET, A COOL RESTING PLACE AFTER THE HEAT OF THE DESERT, STANDS AT AN ELEVATION OF 1,000 METRES AND BOASTS PALM GROVES AND LUSH GARDENS.
AMPHITHEATRES CARVED OUT OF THE OLDEST VOLCANIC LANDSCAPE IN THE WORLD, ROCK CHIMNEYS FORMED BY CENTURIES OF EROSION AND ROCK PAINTINGS EXECUTED IN PREHISTORIC TIMES - ALL THESE FEATURES ARE TO BE BROUGHT TO FOCUS IN THE ALGERIAN SCHEME TO ATTRACT TOURISTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
THE TOURISTS DRIVE WILL BE GEARED IN WITH PRESIDENT HOUARI BOUMEDIENNE'S CALL LAST YEAR FOR A REVIVAL OF ALGERIA'S NATIONAL CULTURE, WHOSE DORMANT STATE HAS BEEN BLAMED ON 130 YEARS OF FRENCH COLONISATION. BY 1970, ALGERIA EXPECTS TO WELCOME 500,000 TOURISTS, MAINLY FROM EUROPE.
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