Like several other sectors, Tunisian tourism has been heavily impacted by the coronavirus. Despite the health crisis, a break that lasted more than two years and the closing of borders, Tunisia still wants to believe in tourism and the return of Algerian tourists. But this wish might remain in a dream state if our Algerian neighbor maintains its position and continues to close its land borders.
To discuss this subject and demonstrate that all of Tunisia is ready to welcome Algerian tourists in the best conditions, this summer, the tourism promotion association “Tourism Labs 24”, in partnership with Destination Tunisie.info, organized a conference -debate on the theme: “Algerian tourism in Tunisia: what prospects for the 2022 season?”. The event was marked by the presence of high-level representatives of the Ontt, as well as professional tourism federations (Tunisian Federation of Hotels, Tunisian Federation of Travel Agencies, National Union of Hotels and Interprofessional Federation tourism), in addition to tourist operators specializing in the Algerian market.
When will the borders open? Are we ready to welcome a large number of Algerian tourists? What have we planned for this tourist season? What are our leaders doing to unblock the situation? What to expect following a breakup that lasted two years? It is through these questions that we sought to give answers during this meeting.
A legitimate closure, but…
The president of the “Tourism Labs 24” association, Hedi Hamdi, indicated that the cause behind this closure, imposed since March 2020, was legitimate since each country sought to protect its fellow citizens from this pandemic which has invaded and ravaged the planet.
But today, the situation has changed and the coronavirus seems to be behind us, good news which is confirmed from one day to the next by the WHO and the various international organizations working in the field of health. Moreover, in Europe, more and more countries are in the process of lifting the last restrictions where we are witnessing a gradual return to normal in terms of tourism and travel.
“It is, therefore, more than ever time for us to look further into the future, to open up the country and bring back the tourists. But, on the side of our neighbour, the opening of land borders does not seem imminent. But there once more, it is worth remembering that for Algeria, apart from the fact that it is unquestionably a brotherly friend, the Algerians love Tunisia and the latest figures recorded are the best proof of this. Indeed, in 2019, no less than 3 million Algerian tourists visited Tunisia. 93% of them entered by land while only 7% came by air.
By themselves, these two indicators are sufficient to show the enormous importance of the opening of the land border with Algeria… The absence of our Algerian friends, during the last two years, weighed heavily on the whole country, especially in the Cap Bon region (notably Nabeul and Hammamet) and those of Tabarka, Sousse, Djerba… But despite an observation that seems reassuring as a whole with the approach of the end of the pandemic, things have not changed. in the right direction at the border, however, we are a few weeks away from the summer peak, ”underlined our colleague.
Homestay accommodation, a real good plan for Algerians
Unlike other categories of tourists, for Algerians, it is not only a question of the notion of staying in hotels since according to the figures announced, 30% of Algerians only stay in hotels while the rest (i.e. 70%) favors homestay accommodation. And therefore, the entire economic sphere and its actors must benefit from the positive economic spinoffs of this sector since the money that enters is injected directly into the local economy which benefits small businesses, restaurants…, without forgetting also the tourism component. of health for the patients who come for health reasons and of which there are many. “It is reciprocal for our Maghreb neighbor, because it is, in reality, a win/win partnership, given that in 2019, no less than 1.7 million Tunisians visited Algeria through land border…
Today, the hour has come for this sector and the professionals want to say it out loud: we are ready to welcome Algerian tourists with open arms as it should be,” he said. But on the other side, Mr. Hamdi further specified, the recovery will not be so easy following in particular a suspension which lasted more than two years. To do this, professionals in the sector must admit some of their weaknesses, which must be dealt with appropriately, such as the tourist environment—which is far from being exemplary—availability in hotels, the quality of services following two years of closure for some, ensuring a quality service without selling off prices…
“For Tunisian tourism professionals, the opening of land borders with Algeria is a matter of survival, because they cannot survive a third year without resources. But here once more, an update is needed so as not to lag behind competing destinations… If we arrive in the next few days or weeks at the opening of the land borders, we will have to be ready to face a season of last minute par excellence, you have to know how to manage it properly and professionally,” he said.
