“We have never thought of leaving Tunisia, a good example, we intend to open a third Mövenpick hotel in Tunisia next year, Alan O’Dea, Senior Vice President Africa, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, announced Tuesday at a thematic session on “Tourism, Tunisia a new destination,” organized within the framework of the International Investment Conference “Tunisia 2020”.
“We still believe in Tunisia, and we will stand with it during this difficult situation. Tunisia “could be an attractive destination for business travelers, given its proximity to Europe. It can host, as well, regional, European, and also international congresses.
Focusing on the reforms needed to revitalize the tourism sector, he stressed the need to develop the air offer by serving new destinations, strengthening hotel security, improving quality and finding new ways of financing to encourage staff.
Karim Cheltout, Vice President – Marriott International Lodging Development pointed to the problem of Tunisian banks’ reluctance to finance the tourism sector.
“The big concern is financing, because banks are still reluctant to support the sector,” he noted.
The official also considered it necessary to give more attention to the environmental component and cleanliness of hotel units.
For his part, Carlos Vogeler, Executive Director of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), highlighted the problem of the seasonality of the sector, calling to design new products and target new clients to guarantee the functioning of hotel units throughout the year.
He also underlined the need to customize the offers and make the most of the assets of the Tunisian site.
As for the terrorist attacks that targeted Tunisia, he considered that “we must never punish the victims of terrorism. We must maintain free flow of traffic, while at the same time enhancing security. “
