Tourism is gradually picking up once more. After months of forced shutdown due to the health crisis, the sector is slightly out of the water. Tunisia is today giving the signal of a resumption of tourist activity under favorable reception conditions and with a minimum of restrictions. If Covid is defeated this year or in 2023, tourism, both nationally and internationally, will not recover all at once… which obviously favors the consolidation of the “domestic” market for at least two years. Again. Indeed, the supervisory ministry does not see this year a dynamic equivalent to that of 2019.
The Covid shows us that it is tough, but in addition, its eradication or even its control will not be followed immediately by a steep rise in the curves of tourist activity. It is clear that 2022 will not see the return of “full tourism”. The return to normal will not be as rapid, but more gradual. The majority of experts foresee a convalescence of the sector and the beginning of a recovery from this year.
The government is taking matters into its own hands to defend Tunisia’s attractiveness in the post-covid era, and above all to ensure that our country retains its tourist leadership in terms of attendance.
A safe destination in all respects
After two years of health crisis which has greatly reduced the size of Tunisia’s air network, the national company Tunisair and the other companies are coming back in force and thus promise to inject more capacity than in 2019.
According to the Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, Mohamed El Moez Belhassine, the Covid crisis has caused a complete paralysis of the tourism sector following the confinement and the closure of borders in several countries, qualifying it as an unprecedented crisis for the world tourism and stressing that the losses of the tourism sector in Tunisia exceeded 7 billion dinars.
The indicators thus show that the year 2020 saw a drop in the number of arrivals of around 78%, with a decrease in the number of nights spent by 80% and a drop in tourist income by 64%.
After having organized meetings with tour operators from 15 countries interested in tourism activity in Tunisia, the Minister considers that the relaunch of the post-pandemic phase requires continuous communication and interaction with tourism partners, specifying that the various partners were reassured that Tunisia is a safe destination in all respects. Knowing that the tourism sector might provide regarding 20% of foreign currency in Tunisia if the tourist season this year will be successful.
The President of the Tunisian Federation of Travel Agencies, Jaber Ben Attouche, considers, for his part, that “domestic tourism is the most important economic activity carried out by most travel agencies in Tunisia. The development of the quality of tourist services offered to citizens in Tunisia has been thanks to the role of travel agencies in terms of organization and promotion. In addition, the development of services provided to Tunisian tourists requires the concerted efforts of all and full mobility, in terms of legal legislation as well as the provision of the necessary financial capacities”.
In the same vein, Dorra Miled, President of the Tunisian Federation of Hoteliers, underlines the importance of domestic tourism, which represents a very important market for the country, adding that various consultants and experts in the field of tourism confirm that the share of domestic tourism should not be less than 40%.
