Algeria's tourism hit after guide's beheading

The beheading of a French mountain guide in Algeria has hit the tourism sector of the north African country, with over a thousand tourists cancelling their bookings.

Kidnapped Sep 21 in Tizi Ouzou in Algeria's east by Caliphate Soldiers, Herve Gourdel, 55, was beheaded 24 hours after an ultimatum was given to France to end airstrikes against the Islamic State, Xinhua reported.

Several tourism agencies based in the south of Algeria, which primarily specialise in desert tourism, have submitted a report to Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal detailing how almost 1,000 tourists recently cancelled their trips to the Sahara Desert.

Algeria's southern desert has been for years one of the most attractive destinations for both Algerian and foreign tourists, providing a lucrative source of income for locals.

Messaoud Agh Mohamed, manager of a tourist agency, said more than 1,000 workers who rely on the tourism industry would be jobless in the coming months.