Tunisian and Japanese sides are currently discussing ways to launch a Saharan tourism product promotion campaign in the Japanese market and the possibility of a direct flight between Tokyo and Tozeur-Nafta airports, said regional director of tourism in Tozeur Mohamed Sayem.
This campaign is part of a cooperation program launched in 2012 between the Ministry of Tourism and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
With funding of 5 million Tunisian dinars (MTD), this program involves the organization of visits and training sessions in Japan for Tunisian professionals in the tourism sector to better understand the specifics of Japanese tourists.
The program is now in its third and final phase, which focuses on the dissemination of data collected on the characteristics of Japanese tourists from managers of hotel units operating in Saharan tourism. The aim is to improve the competitiveness of the Tunisian Sahara as a flagship tourist destination.
In comparison with traditional customers, Japanese tourists and those of Asian countries in general are tourist consumers with high purchasing power and often stay for several weeks in hotel units.
