Responsible Traveller Charter
BEFORE YOU GO · THE SPIRIT OF TRAVEL
An invitation to discover Algeria with care, curiosity and respect.
Meet, understand, respect.
DOC-RSE-001 · Version 1.1 · Effective from 1 November 2026
At Riwaya Travel, we believe a journey is more than an itinerary. It is an encounter with a culture, landscapes and the people who welcome you.
In Algeria, hospitality is part of everyday life: a cup of tea, an open door, a conversation. We invite you to respond with curiosity, humility and kindness.
This charter accompanies Riwaya Travel’s General Terms and Conditions of Sale (GTC). It provides information and raises awareness; it is not a contractual document.
The essential rules below reflect the traveller’s obligations under article 10 of the GTC. The recommended practices help you travel in harmony with the places and people you encounter.
● Laws and regulations: Comply with the laws and regulations in force in Algeria.
● Respect and dignity: Treat everyone you meet with respect: local residents, guides, drivers, cooks, accommodation hosts and service providers. No form of discrimination, harassment, humiliation or violence, whether verbal or physical, is tolerated.
○ Clothing: Dress in a way that respects local customs, particularly in villages, traditional neighbourhoods and places of worship, where covering your shoulders and knees is appreciated.
○ Privacy: Respect residents’ daily routines and private spaces. Do not enter a house, courtyard or garden without an invitation.
● Zero tolerance: Any form of exploitation of a child or vulnerable person, particularly sexual exploitation, is strictly prohibited. These acts are punishable under Algerian and French law, including when committed abroad by a French national or a person habitually resident in France.
● Vulnerability: Never behave in a way that exploits a person’s hardship or vulnerability.
○ No unsupervised contact: Never be alone with a child without their parents or your guide present. Never invite a minor into your room or vehicle, or exchange personal contact details with them.
Concerned about a situation? Tell your guide or Riwaya Travel immediately.
● Consent: Always ask permission before photographing or filming someone. If they refuse, respect their decision. Never photograph a child without permission from a parent or the adult responsible for them.
● Sensitive locations: Do not photograph or film military or police installations, checkpoints, borders, official buildings, members of the security forces, customs officers or any officials on duty. Follow an official’s instructions and inform your guide.
● Drones and equipment: Importing and using drones, as well as certain equipment such as binoculars or GPS devices, is subject to highly restrictive authorisations in Algeria. Do not use them without the required permissions, and discuss them with Riwaya Travel before departure: otherwise they may be detained by customs.
● Local rules: Respect the rules that apply to each place. In the ksour of the M’zab Valley, for example, visits require a local guide and photographing residents, particularly women, is prohibited.
○ Sharing online: Before publishing a photograph or video, make sure it respects people’s dignity and privacy. Avoid images that could identify or locate a child or vulnerable person, and disable geolocation at fragile sites such as rock-art locations and wildlife habitats.
● Rock art: Do not touch rock paintings or engravings. Never wet them to brighten their colours, take tracings or leave any marks.
● Archaeological remains: Do not collect, move or take anything from an archaeological, historic or heritage site, including prehistoric tools, arrowheads, pottery fragments or objects from ancient sites. Follow visitor rules at protected sites such as Tassili n’Ajjer, Timgad, Djemila and Tipaza.
● Prohibited purchases: Do not buy or carry objects from archaeological, historic or heritage sites, products made from protected species, counterfeit goods or illegal drugs.
○ Buy with confidence: Fossils, antiques and cultural objects of uncertain origin may be subject to export restrictions. If in doubt, ask your guide before buying.
○ Places of worship: Where visits are permitted, enter outside prayer times, wear clothing that covers the body and remove your shoes where required. Be discreet so as not to disturb worshippers.
Your Destination Expert can give you further guidance for each region.
● Plants and natural sites: Do not pick or collect protected species, and respect the natural places you pass through.
● Wildlife: Never approach, chase, disturb or feed a wild animal, including the macaques you may see in the Chiffa Gorge or Gouraya.
● Leave no litter: Leave no waste behind. When camping, take everything away, including toilet paper, or follow your team’s instructions.
● Trails: Stay on marked trails, tracks and routes, or those indicated by your guide.
○ Take nothing: Leave nature intact: do not collect plants, rocks, minerals or sand, particularly in parks and protected areas.
○ Animal welfare: Do not take part in activities involving the mistreatment, exploitation or captivity of animals for entertainment, including photographs with captive wild animals such as fennec foxes. If in doubt, ask your guide.
○ Water and energy: Conserve water and energy, especially in the Sahara, where water is scarce. Choose a reusable water bottle over disposable plastic bottles.
○ Local purchases: Choose local artisans, cooperatives and producers: your purchases directly support the places you visit.
○ Bargaining: Bargaining is customary in some markets. Keep it friendly and pay a fair price.
○ Tips: Tipping is never compulsory but is appreciated. Your Destination Expert can offer guidance.
○ Donations: Do not give money, sweets, pens or presents to children in the street, as this can encourage begging. To help, support a recognised local association or initiative in consultation with your guide.
● Instructions: Follow the safety instructions given by your guide, tour leader, driver, Riwaya Travel representatives and the competent authorities.
● Care: Do not deliberately put yourself at risk or endanger other travellers or the team.
● Group and itinerary: Do not leave the group or itinerary without your guide’s or tour leader’s agreement, especially in the desert and mountains, where movement may also be regulated by the authorities.
○ Documents: Keep your passport with you: it may be requested at road checkpoints. Keep a copy separately.
○ Health: Drink regularly, protect yourself from the sun and tell your guide immediately if you feel unwell. Your travel documents explain the precautions specific to your trip.
A problem, a service that does not meet the agreed terms, an incident or inappropriate behaviour? Report it promptly so we can act, and keep any useful evidence, such as photographs, messages and receipts.
During your trip: your guide, tour leader or local representative; the Riwaya Travel operations contact; telephone and WhatsApp: +213 550 19 78 93.
After your trip: contact@riwayatravel.com or Riwaya Travel, 25 rue de Ponthieu, 75008 Paris, France (article 18 of the GTC).
Immediate emergency: contact the emergency services or competent authorities first, then inform Riwaya Travel as soon as possible. Emergency contact details are included in your travel documents.
Every report is taken seriously and handled discreetly, with respect for everyone involved.
Following these rules protects the group, the people we meet and the places we visit.
Under article 10.2 of the GTC, if behaviour constitutes an offence, creates a serious risk, seriously harms a person, property, community, animal, the environment or heritage, or compromises the smooth running of the trip, Riwaya Travel may take appropriate measures, including ending the traveller’s participation.
Where circumstances allow, the traveller will be warned beforehand and asked to stop the behaviour. No warning is required in the event of immediate danger, violence or a serious offence. Any financial consequences are set out in article 10.2 of the GTC.
As part of its responsible tourism approach, Riwaya Travel aims to:
Riwaya Travel has held Travelife Partner status since June 2026.
Responsible travel is a shared commitment. Through simple actions and continued care for people and places, every traveller helps preserve the quality of encounters and the places we visit.
When registering, you confirm that you have received this charter. It is a non-contractual document providing information and guidance; the traveller’s enforceable obligations are set out in article 10 of Riwaya Travel’s GTC.
