The 5th edition of the international festival of Saharan tourism will be held from December 9 to 11 in Ghardaïa, a tourist town located 600 km south of Algiers, we learned from the organizers on Tuesday.
This international event will see the participation, in addition to twenty-three wilayas, of representatives from Mali, Mauritania, Libya and Tunisia as well as several European Eductours Saharan tourism professionals, it was specified.
Initiated by the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts, this new edition will be a favorable opportunity to highlight the tourist potential of southern Algeria, in particular the region of Ghardaia, and to create a local economic dynamic, generating income, particularly in the field of crafts. , and seasonal agricultural products (dates, peanuts and others), the general secretary of the wilaya, Lahcene Labad, told APS.
In addition to the creation of these income-generating activities and the promotion of domestic tourism by attracting thousands of visitors who come from the various wilayas of the country and neighboring localities, this event aims to highlight the tangible and intangible heritage as well as the history of the region and to ensure the sustainability of this important cultural heritage of our country, said Sâad Meriah, director of tourism and handicrafts of Ghardaia.
The choice of Ghardaia to host this festival, which has experienced a respite following the global health crisis, is explained by the fact that this region is a “cradle of cultural tourism” whose influence has crossed borders, indicates- we from the same source.
High place of traditional architecture, the region of M’zab (Ghardaia), composed of five Ksour (fortress towns) winding through a valley classified as World Heritage by UNESCO in 1982, is very courted by many tourists for its architecture. traditional, its ramparts and the market squares of each ksar, not to mention the beautiful mosques overlooking the valley.
This important architectural site, built for a community life respectful of the sociology of the inhabitants also attracts many researchers, academics and specialists in housing and architecture.
Aware of the role of this festival in the promotion of tourism and crafts, the organizers have concocted an “eclectic” program combining music, folklore, and sport to highlight the potential for tourism and local crafts.
This international festival of Saharan tourism will also host conferences on tourism, particularly cultural, traditional culinary art and their impact on the local economy, as well as the issue related to the marketing of handicrafts, in the presence of researchers and experts, we point out.
Translated from APS
