It has been discussed extensively, but their birth certificate was often delayed.
However, on Sunday, Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, Sofiene Tekaya, solemnly announced, “the specifications setting the conditions for alternative tourist accommodation in Tunisia will be published in the coming weeks, after being presented to several administrative bodies and structures, including the Competition Council.”
In response to questions from members of the Assembly of People’s Representatives (ARP) and the National Council of Regions and Districts (CNRD) during the review of his department’s budget, the Minister clarified that this project will organize the activity of more than 2,200 alternative tourist accommodation units (rural lodges, guest houses, and campsites) and support investment in this promising sector, which is attracting a new profile of visitors from different countries.
“Indeed, this is a comprehensive approach aimed at eliminating permits and replacing them with specifications, while improving the environment around tourist areas, particularly by developing the paths and roads leading to them,” he added.
That said, Tekaya affirmed that tourism is a strategic sector and an essential pillar of overall development, directly and indirectly contributing to a 10% increase in GDP in 2023 and a 40% reduction in the trade deficit in 2024, in addition to significant foreign exchange earnings reaching about 6.7 billion dinars in 2024.
“The tourism sector is an engine for investment and job creation,” he said, recalling that Tunisia has adopted a higher education curriculum in tourism and hospitality aimed at developing and modernizing the sector.
In this context, the Minister indicated that the development of vocational and university training in tourism continues in consultation with professionals, to adapt it to the needs of the job market, hotel establishments, and tourist restaurants.
Regarding the situation of closed hotels, Tekaya stated that a team comprising the Ministries of Tourism, Handicrafts, Finance, Justice, and the Central Bank is continuing its work to resolve pending cases, noting that the coming days will see the review of the situation of 11 hotels and the reopening of 4 hotel units.
Tax benefits for health tourism
He also indicated that efforts are underway to support and develop health tourism to attract European seniors and reintegrate this sector into the economic cycle, with an amount of 11 million dinars granted to tourist establishments in the form of tax benefits.
The Minister also discussed the preservation of the environment around tourist establishments, specifying that a specific program covering 130 beaches is being implemented in collaboration with 57 tourist municipalities, with the aim of integrating 15 additional municipalities next year and supporting them with equipment.
In this regard, he emphasized that the transition of municipalities to tourist municipality status meets criteria examined by specialized committees, specifying that the grants awarded are not automatic but calculated according to a roadmap developed with the Ministry of the Interior.
Regarding the development of the tourist offer in the regions, Tekaya stated that the department is examining the recommendations from meetings and study days organized in the governorates of Kef and Gafsa, and scheduled for Kasserine and Béja. The aim is to transform tourist establishments and areas into attractive spaces, develop tourist circuits, improve access, and link tourist activities to culture, and tangible and intangible heritage.
The Minister also indicated that 42 million dinars are allocated in 2026 for promoting inland tourist regions abroad, as part of the communication plan dedicated to promoting the Tunisian destination, based on the use of new communication technologies, digital tools, and influential content creators.
Regarding the organization of the Umrah, Tekaya stated that, in accordance with the guidance document prepared in collaboration with the Ministry of Religious Affairs, this service is limited to Category “A” travel agencies, numbering about one hundred.
Domestic tourism: Preferential rate offers!
Regarding domestic tourism, the Minister assured the continuation of seasonal offers at preferential rates, noting the evolution of the offer and that many families are now interested in tourist lodges, guest houses, and ecotourism.
He also stressed the need to develop the activity of Tozeur and Tabarka airports to enhance the accommodation capacity in the inland regions, a goal dependent on the improvement of Tunisair’s situation, according to him.
As for handicrafts, he indicated that the ministry is working to create design centers within craft villages to attract specialized graduates, with seven centers already planned, to support craft production with a modern vision facilitating access to foreign markets, noting that the ministry covers 50% of transport costs when Tunisian artisans participate in international fairs abroad.
