Strongly tested by two years of health crisis where the damage is colossal, Tunisian tourist operators are preparing for the 2022 summer season. An improvement that is growing day by day with promising prospects. Countdown to the last days of spring, the start of the 2022 summer pre-season is approaching at the same time. This deadline is all the more important as it corresponds to the end of two difficult years which have greatly tested the resilience tourism operators at national and international level. During these two years, the professionals tried to resist as much as they might, but many might not get through the crisis. Hundreds of businesses had to close permanently, while others remained awaiting a possible recovery. The 2022 summer season is currently crystallizing a lot of expectations on the part of professionals who have been able to maintain their activities despite the damage they have suffered over the past two years.
With the restarting of international tourist activity, associated with studied promotion work carried out by the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts and its various structures (Ontt, FTH, travel agencies, etc.), the signs of recovery are positive and the players are counting on a return to the flow of arrivals years before the health crisis. International tourism has continued to recover since January 2022, with much better results than what was a gloomy start to 2021. According to the indicators, international tourist arrivals worldwide more than doubled (+130%) in January 2022 compared to 2021. There were 18 million additional visitors worldwide in the first month of the year, i.e. the equivalent of the total increase recorded over the whole of 2021.
In Tunisia, the Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, Mohamed Mœz Belhassine, has repeatedly noted his department’s determination to guarantee the success of the 2022 summer season by taking the necessary measures to erect it in season. tourism and economy par excellence. According to him, the revival of the tourism sector is an imperative that has emerged, particularly in light of the strong will displayed by the government and economic operators.
According to the financial and monetary indicators of the BCT, tourist receipts, since the beginning of the year 2022 and until April 10, reached 600.8 million dinars (i.e. 199.6 million dollars), once morest 405.4 million dinars ($134.6 billion) compared to the same period of 2021. The government is seeking to achieve 50-60% of the results recorded before the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to a drop in revenue tourism at more than 65%.
As of April 15, 2022, net assets in foreign currency stood at 24.2 billion dinars (14.1 billion dollars), thus allowing Tunisia to cover 130 days of imports.
