algeria is the largest country in the african continent and the 10th largest country in terms of the total area. located in north africa, one of the main tourist attractions is the sahara, the second largest desert in the world. some sand dunes can reach 180 meters in height. algeria has been a member of the world tourism organization since 1976. according to a report of the world tourism organization published in 2014, algeria is the 4th largest tourist destination in africa in 2013 with 2,7 million foreign tourists, and ranks 111th on the international tourism scene, according to the london-based world tourism and travel council (wttc). the tourism sector in algeria accounts for 3.9% of the volume of exports, 9.5% of the productive investment rate and 8.1% of the gross domestic product.