The tourism sector, unstable since the revolution, has made a good performance after a lean year. According to the latest figures released by the Ministry of Tourism, Tunisia has welcomed 4.4 million tourists from January 1 to September 20, posting a 32% compared to the same period in 2011.
In comparison with 2010, tourist arrivals are down 15%.” Tourism revenues reached this year, two billion dinars, with an increase of 38% compared to 2011 and a decrease of 12% compared to 2010.
It is worth noting that the Tunisia destination is still popular with the European market, which still has the lion’s share, with a ratio of approximately 50.6%, from 1.309 million European tourists in 2011 (8 months) to 1.972 million European tourists in 2012, without however reaching the 2010 figure, i.e. 2.498 million tourists.
According to recent data published by the same source, the movement of tourists from the Arab Maghreb and North America is on the rise, reaching this year (8 months), 1,621,000 tourists (against 1,239.978 in 2011) and 19,779 tourists (against 13,507 in 2011), respectively.
The increase in the influx of tourists to Tunisia from January 1 to August 20, 2012 has also affected the Japanese (+169.3% with 4,379 tourists), Brazilians (76% with 1,320 tourists) and Australians (38 5% with 1,011 tourists).
In contrast, a decrease was recorded during the same period in the influx of tourists from the Middle East (-74.9%) with 23,406 tourists, Africans (-60.6%), or 22,732 tourists and Chinese (-78.8%), with 2,296 tourists.
It should be noted that the Ministry of Tourism will create soon a unit of management by objectives that will support the implementation of programs to promote the sector. The aim is to attract one million additional tourists each year to reach 6.8 million tourists in 2013 and 10 million in 2016.
Similarly, an evaluation study is underway in the department of tourism on interventions of the tourism upgrading program, including a possible increase in the ceiling of incentives allocated to the use of sustainable energy in the tourism sector.
Undoubtedly, tourism recovery will not only favor the establishment of a new political system. It will depend very much on the concrete improvement of security, which is the last bastion to save this business.
