Since the beginning of the year until the end of last August, the Tunisian tourism sector recorded a record decline in the number of arrivals and financial revenues. As the rate of decline amounted to about 75 percent in relation to revenues, and about 74 percent at the level of arrivals to Tunisian tourist facilities.
The Minister of Tourism, Habib Ammar considered that "the tourism sector is now under threat of collapse," calling for "the necessity to initiate the implementation of structural reforms of the sector that would double its performance and return to its previous record numbers. As 9.5 million tourists flocked to Tunisia during the last tourist season, which contributed to providing at least 5 billion Tunisian dinars (about 1.8 billion dollars) in financial revenues. "
He stressed that "a short-term action plan is being developed to help revive the tourism sector affected by the "Corona" pandemic, according to a participatory vision with professionals.” He pointed out that "a coordination committee will soon be established between the administration and the concerned universities that have a direct or indirect relationship with the tourism sector."
The Maghreb markets, represented in Algeria and Libya, recorded a decline that had not occurred for decades with regard to inbound tourism to Tunisia, as the number decreased by 99.5 percent, which further complicated the financial conditions of most tourist hotels that relied on the Algerian and Libyan markets, during the years following 2011 revolution and the terrorist bombings that targeted some regions of Tunisia, in order to adjust their income and save the successive tourist seasons. As for European markets, they recorded a decline of 84.9 percent, despite the reopening of the Tunisian borders to tourists since June 27th.
Source (Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Edited)
