Upon entering the office of Samy Boutemadja, Chief Representative of Air Algerie in China, the decor may make visitors think they have stepped into the North African nation. Boutemadjia, in his 40s, looks shy and reserved, but when it comes to Algeria, a top Mediterranean destination, he becomes a good conversationalist.

"Typically Mediterranean in climate, Algeria has warm sandy beaches, the famous Sahara Desert, beautiful historical remains of ancient cities, as well as mountain scenery," said Boutemadjia. "This brings immense opportunities to increase the traffic to and from the country."

Punting tourism

Unfortunately, very few Chinese people know much about the country's rich tourism resources. "On our flights from Beijing to Alger, more than 70 percent of the Chinese passengers are workers, most of whom hold one-way tickets," he said, adding that the workers often stay for half a year or even longer as Algeria continues to expand its trade and economic cooperation with China.

So far, there are not many Chinese tourists in the country, but Boutemadjia, a veteran who has served over two decades in the aviation industry, is full of confidence. Many other African airlines are increasing international flights to countries outside the continent, mainly due to the increasing demand for Africa as a popular destination.

In addition to a one-week promotion at last year's Shanghai Expo, Air Algerie, partnered with the Algeria National Office of Tourism, is set to increase its promotional activities in China over the October National Day holiday this year. The main objective for this is to increase Chinese awareness of the North African country. At the same time, the airline will showcase affordable holiday packages to Chinese visitors.

"Other African airlines really set good examples [for us], as they have actively engaged in promoting their tourism resources for years," said Boutemadjia. "The important part we are working on now is to let more Chinese people know that Algeria is a safe tourist destination, and [through the joint promotion] to offer them that chance to benefit from affordable air travel onboard."