Major potential for future tourism growth

Tunisia is ideally suited to develop into a more diversified tourist destination but needs to do much more to drive up demand and realise its potential. That was the key message from the recent FVW Workshop in the country.

Demand for Tunisia on the German market has slumped dramatically in recent years. Visitor figures have declined from nearly one million to just 550,000 in 2006. “Tunisia is rarely demanded by our clients,” said travel agent Nicole Gebauer. The country had developed into a “classic last-minute destination”, added Silvia Sturm, resident manager for FTI. Bookings appear to be rising this summer, however, according to tour operators.

The major factors for the decline have been the fast growth of destinations such as Turkey and Egypt, and Tunisia’s slow response to changing patterns in the international travel market, according to workshop participants. “Countries such as Turkey, Egypt or Bulgaria respond better to the modern needs of modern families than the Tunisian hoteliers,” said Axel Hübner, head of family holidays for Neckermann Reisen. There is a lack of family rooms in hotels, and the properties do not have enough attractions for children, he criticised. TUI product manager Stefan Niemann advised Tunisian hoteliers to look at how other destinations were expanding their facilities. The leading German tourism market research expert Werner Sülberg, of Rewe Touristik, pointed out that Tunisia is too focused on package holidays and is not benefiting from the growth segments such as modular holidays or low-cost carriers. Another factor is that German travel agents have poor knowledge of the country and its attractions.

Yet Tunisia is ideally suited to grow both beach holidays and other forms of tourism. “With its beaches and prices, Tunisia is really an ideal destination for families,” Hübner stated. The hotels are generally of a high standard, and about 800 will be re-classified in line with international star ratings by mid-2008. “We want to be the top quality destination in North Africa,” declared Raouf Johmni, director general of the Tunisian tourist board. Several international and Tunisian hotel groups are developing major new complexes due to be opened in the near future.

With flight times of just two hours from Germany, Tunisia could easily become a destination for individual travellers. Tunis had the flair and potential to become a city trip destination, said travel agent Annegret Vigo. But insufficient flights and minimum stays of several nights are holding back this development, workshop participants pointed out. Ali Miaoui, Germany director of Tunisair, confirmed that traffic rights under the bilateral air agreement with Germany are fully used, but open skies was not on the political agenda. Low-cost carriers will thus not be flying to Tunisia in the foreseeable future.

Tunisia is well-placed to develop two forms of tourism in particular: cultural holidays and wellness. The country has all the basics for cultural holidays with art, culture, history, the chance to meet the local population, activities and relaxation, said Jörg-Dietrich Meltzer, of Germany’s leading study tours operator Studiosus Reisen. “The attractions of the country are barely known, especially not by the culturally-interested section of the population,” he stated. Such premium clients had prejudices, fears about security and viewed the country as a “cheap beach holiday destination”, he pointed out. “The vague or negative view of Germans about Tunisia must be positively corrected,” Meltzer stressed.

The country also has great potential for wellness in view of demographic trends in Germany with its aging population, said Claudia Wagner, head of wellness and health holidays specialist FIT Reisen. The country was attractively priced, had short flight times and a mild climate throughout the year, she commented. Tunisia is the second-largest destination for thalasso holidays with 35 centres in operation and a further 15 planned.