S’There is a sector where Tunisian-Algerian relations are particularly developed, and that is tourism. According to 2019 statistics, Tunisia received around 3 million Algerian tourists out of a total of 9 million tourists of various nationalities. In 2020 and 2021, it was deprived of these visitors due to the health crisis which led to the closure of borders and the suspension of travel with our western neighbor, Algeria. After two lean years due to the health crisis, Tunisia wants to achieve an exceptional tourist season during this summer of 2022. Thus, the country is counting on the arrival of a large number of tourists from all sides. The country and professionals in the sector are betting, among other things, on the return of Algerian tourists for the recovery expected this summer. The Algerian market has always been considered as one of the strategic markets for Tunisian tourism. Algeria is the leading source market for tourists to Tunisia, in terms of arrivals. It occupies the first position before the Libyan markets and that of Tunisians residing abroad as well as all the European markets combined. Tunisia was, before the health crisis, the favored tourist destination of Algerians who went there en masse during the summer period. But, due to the pandemic, air traffic was suspended between the two countries for almost a year and a half. Flights between Tunis and Algiers resumed on June 1, 2021. Even better, this year, and with regard to the tourist flow between the two countries, Tunisia and Algeria have recently agreed to launch a maritime line with the aim of boost cruise tourism from the port of La Goulette. This agreement, co-finalized between the two parties, on the sidelines of the 116th edition of the UNWTO Executive Council held in Saudi Arabia, also plans to increase the number of charter flights between Tunisia and Algeria in order to make more seamless movement of passengers from the various airports of the two countries. The Tunisian and Algerian tourism ministers have found common ground to launch a bilateral cooperation program in the tourism and handicrafts sector through joint projects in areas such as hotel training. In this sense, the creation of a joint Tunisian-Algerian training center in the fields of tourism, hotels and tourist real estate cooperation was mentioned; and this, within the framework of the signing of an agreement between the Tunisian Tourist Land Agency and the newly created Algerian agency. It should be noted that the supervisory ministry confirms that significant demand has been observed for the Tunisian site, whether from European markets or neighboring markets (Libya and Algeria).
