Swiss tourist killed in “violent death” in Algeria

A Swiss woman was brutally killed while traveling in Algeria on October 11th, according to a statement from Switzerland’s Department of Foreign Affairs to the Associated Press. The woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, was traveling with a group of five Swiss nationals.

While specific details surrounding her death remain undisclosed, the incident is a significant setback to Algeria’s efforts to grow its tourism sector. Unlike its neighboring countries Morocco and Tunisia, which boast thriving tourism industries, Algeria has struggled to attract visitors, largely due to its restrictive tourist visa policies.

In recent years, Algeria has made efforts to streamline its visa process in a bid to enhance tourism. Reuters reported that the country attracted 2.3 million tourists in 2023, with aspirations to increase that number to 12 million by 2030.

Algeria offers a wealth of attractions, from Roman and Islamic ruins to beaches, mountains, and desert landscapes. However, the nation has had to grapple with occasional extremist-led violence.

In 2003, Islamic militants linked to al-Qaeda kidnapped 32 European tourists in southern Algeria, holding them for months before their eventual release. A separate incident in 2013 saw militants seizing an oil refinery, where they held hundreds of Algerian and international workers hostage. Algerian forces ultimately stormed the facility, but 39 foreign hostages were killed.

The ongoing instability in neighboring countries like Libya and Mali has exacerbated the situation, with increased arms trafficking and drug trade contributing to regional violence.

This latest incident marks the first killing of a foreign tourist in Algeria in several years, the Associated Press reports.