Tunisia's Tourism Sector Misses Opportunities Due to Air Transport Difficulties
Tunisia's tourism sector has missed several opportunities due to difficulties related to air transport, said Dorra Miled, President of the Tunisian Federation of Hotels (FTH). She emphasized the need to develop and relax agreements in this area between countries to strengthen connectivity and improve the competitiveness of the Tunisian destination.
Speaking on the sidelines of a conference organized as part of the International Hot Air Balloon and Glider Forum Djerba-Douz-Tozeur (October 25 - November 1), Miled highlighted the strong potential of tourism in southern Tunisia, where the season could be extended throughout the year. She estimated that air transport is a priority sector that requires urgent solutions to boost tourism, in parallel with energy management, improvement of service quality, and specialized professional training.
Challenges Facing the Tourism Sector
The President of the FTH also mentioned the situation of closed hotels in several tourist regions due to structural reasons, including debt and low capacity, particularly in non-coastal areas. She recalled that the white paper on tourism, presented in 2011 by professionals and providing for the creation of a Tourism Fund to restructure hotel establishments, remained a dead letter. Dorra Miled therefore called for new thinking on the establishment of an innovative financial mechanism, similar to what has been done in other competing countries, to support establishments in difficulty.
Need for Dialogue and Reform
She emphasized the urgency of a serious dialogue between the State, the financial sector, and investors to provide concrete support to the sector and review certain legislative texts. Finally, she insisted on the need for clear political will, precise objectives, and a work schedule to implement the necessary reforms. The FTH, she added, remains open to dialogue and cooperation between the public and private sectors to sustainably relaunch Tunisian tourism.
Regional Tourism Development
Note that a conference on tourism was organized at the opening of the forum, addressing several issues related to the development of the sector, including regional transport.
