Tourism, a Key Sector Just Recovering
13 February 2013
Read by 3385 persons
Tourism, a key sector in the Tunisian economy, started to recover last year, but has not yet reached its 2010 level.
The sharp deterioration of the political situation in Tunisia could hinder the recovery of its tourism sector, which is so strategic, destabilized in 2011 with the "Revolution for Dignity" and more globally by the "Arab Spring". Because 2012 saw a return of foreign customers.
According to the Tunisian Ministry of Tourism, the number of arrivals at the borders increased by 29.4% compared to 2011, to reach almost 6 million. The total number of hotel nights simultaneously jumped by 45.2%, to nearly 30 million. As for the amount of tourism revenue, it increased by more than 30%, to 3.17 billion dinars (1.52 billion euros).
Restoring Confidence
However, the sector, which represented 7% of Tunisia's GDP and 400,000 jobs in 2010, is far from having returned to its previous level. Last year, the amount of tourism revenue was still 10% below its level two years earlier. The gap was even closer to 16% for the total number of nights. The authorities are far from having restored confidence. On January 24, a delegation of professionals even travelled to Paris, even though the "Envoyé Spécial" program on France 2 had broadcast a report on the "Salafist threat" the week before... A step that shows the weight of French customers in Tunisian tourism.
According to the association of French travel agents Ceto, which represents most of the French market, Tunisia was still the leading foreign destination for the French in the 2011-2012 commercial year with 413,211 customers for package holidays, a traffic increase of almost 14%. However, this was "boosted" by the increase in promotions. If travel agents are now very rigorous in terms of capacity management, a new drop in demand would nevertheless be very bad news.
Christophe Palierse.
Lesechos.fr
Published February 11, 2013.
Posted online February 13, 2013.
The sharp deterioration of the political situation in Tunisia could hinder the recovery of its tourism sector, which is so strategic, destabilized in 2011 with the "Revolution for Dignity" and more globally by the "Arab Spring". Because 2012 saw a return of foreign customers.
According to the Tunisian Ministry of Tourism, the number of arrivals at the borders increased by 29.4% compared to 2011, to reach almost 6 million. The total number of hotel nights simultaneously jumped by 45.2%, to nearly 30 million. As for the amount of tourism revenue, it increased by more than 30%, to 3.17 billion dinars (1.52 billion euros).
Restoring Confidence
However, the sector, which represented 7% of Tunisia's GDP and 400,000 jobs in 2010, is far from having returned to its previous level. Last year, the amount of tourism revenue was still 10% below its level two years earlier. The gap was even closer to 16% for the total number of nights. The authorities are far from having restored confidence. On January 24, a delegation of professionals even travelled to Paris, even though the "Envoyé Spécial" program on France 2 had broadcast a report on the "Salafist threat" the week before... A step that shows the weight of French customers in Tunisian tourism.
According to the association of French travel agents Ceto, which represents most of the French market, Tunisia was still the leading foreign destination for the French in the 2011-2012 commercial year with 413,211 customers for package holidays, a traffic increase of almost 14%. However, this was "boosted" by the increase in promotions. If travel agents are now very rigorous in terms of capacity management, a new drop in demand would nevertheless be very bad news.
Christophe Palierse.
Lesechos.fr
Published February 11, 2013.
Posted online February 13, 2013.
