Home / The Tourism sector in Tunisia /  Perspectives and challenges
Perspectives and challenges

Due to the impact of tourism on employment, on foreign currency revenues and on the country’s overall economy, tourism professionals are required to be creative and innovative to bring in appropriate answers to the increasing new trends (fragmentation of holidays, tourists’ new motivations, short stays, emergence of new competitors, profusion of low cost companies, etc…) as any fallback or stagnation would correspond to a loss in market shares and would constitute a gift to competitive markets.

Well aware of these challenges, the Tourism Administration designed an action plan relying on 5 major pillars :

1. First pillar :

Consolidating Tunisia’s position in traditional European markets and Tunisia’s engagement in a more determined policy to look for new markets (Gulf countries, China, Japan, …) particularly through the :

The implementation of an Ad Hoc Observatory in charge of collecting information concerning the sector (Demand, Offer, Revenues, Employments …), to proceed with studies and investigations that are required for a better grasp of this activity and follow the evolution and changes of external markets.
Mobilizing a tourism promotion fund supported by hotel professionals to contribute along with the yearly marketing budget granted by the State to ONTT, to reinforcing and diversifying tourism marketing campaigns in potential markets.
Creating a Tourism National Commission chaired by the Prime Minister to define priorities and coordinate the development and promotion of Tourism in the country’s various regions and in tourists generating countries. (see Decree N° 2003-1232 dated June 9, 2003).
Introducing tourism new technologies mainly the e-tourism offering a privileged platform to promote tourism products through the web.

As a consequence, in 2005 the Tourism Official Site will become dynamic and will be transformed into an online sales portal gathering the tourism administration, the Tunisian Hotels Federation, the Tunisian Travel Agents Federation as well as the sector’s major actors. This portal will provide as much information as possible about Tunisian tourism, and will constitute an open booking station for the sector’s operators (Tour operators – Hotel professionals)

2. Second pillar :

Diversification of products to reduce Tourism’s seasonal aspects :

The creation of integrated tourism stations along the coast offering diversified product complementing existing beach products
The promotion of cultural tourism by developing existing archaeological sites left by the differentt civilizations marking Tunisia’s history (Punic, Roman, Islamic…).
The development of ecological and evasion tourism (national parks, natural reserves …), welfare tourism, medical tourism, event-related tourism, agri-tourism, eco-tourism, sea-side tourism, conference tourism.
The diversification and intensification of the Saharan tourism product while preserving its authentic aspect in order to compete with Mediterranean countries. In fact, the Tunisian Saharan tourism offers the specificity of being very close to sea-side, complementing beach tourism resorts and activities.

3. Third pillar :

Reinforce promotion policies in already existing tourist resorts through the :

Creation of a Resorts Protection Fund supported by professionals contributing 1% of their annual turnover, in order to fund urban and forestation development projects, environment protection and enrichment programs.
Harmonious collaboration between Tourism and Environment/ Territory Planning departments through the National Agency for the Protection of the Environment and the Sea-side Protection Agency for the development of areas.
The promulgation of a several juridical texts, including
  - Decree issued on March 13, 1991 requiring the execution of environmental impact studies before starting projects
  - The urbanism code promulgated on November 28, 1994 recommending the rational use of soils and construction materials and respect of the local architecture.
  - Law promulgated on July 24, 1994 creating the Seaside protection and Development Agency in charge of designing effective conditions to sustain sea side development projects and programs.

4. Fourth pillar :

Adoption of an incentive policy promoting investments in the field of tourism, supporting the liberalization dynamics and reinforcing openness of the Tunisian economy. This policy is characterized by :

The freedom of investment : investors may hold up to 100% of tourism businesses capitals with no prior authorization
The freedom to transfer benefits and products generated by the transfer of invested capitals including capital gains, as stated by Law N° 93-48 instituting the current convertibility of the Tunisian Dinar.
Protection of investments and the non-double tax enforcement in the framework of bilateral agreements between Tunisia and the investor’s State of origin.
Recognition and execution of foreign arbitral sentences resulting of Tunisia’s adherence to the New York convention dated June 10, 1958 and the adoption by Tunisia of the Arbitration Code in 1993.
Coverage of non commercial risks after Tunisia’ adherence to M.I.G.A (Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency).
Protection of property rights (Law N° 82-66 dated August 6, 1982).

Legal texts promoting investment incentives include the following:

Investments Incentives Code promulgated by Law N° 1993-120 dated December 27, 1993.
Decree N° 1999-483 dated March 1st, 1999 modified and complemented by Decree N° 2003-1080 dated May 5, 2003 demarcating regional development incentive areas.

5. Fifth pillar :

Implementation of systems ensuring the total quality of Tunisian products

The first system concerns the categorization of hotels (the legal text is currently being developed).
The second quality support system concerns upgrading, and the 2005 program concerns 45 hotels and 22 000 beds.
The third system concerns standards and certification (an agreement for the design of quality standards concerning tourist services was already signed between the ONTT and INNORPI in March 2003 and the European standardization center) to provide and adapt related European standards.
The last system concerns labels (collective brands) some of which will be implemented before the end of 2005.