Arab Institute of Business Leaders (IACE) Calls for Acceleration of Reforms in Tourism and Olive Oil Sectors
The Arab Institute of Business Leaders (IACE) called on Friday for the acceleration of reforms and regulatory revisions in the tourism and olive oil sectors to consolidate foreign exchange reserves, reduce the trade deficit, create jobs, and promote economic development.
In an analysis note titled "Assessment of Tourism and Olive Oil Performance in 2025 and Prospects for 2026... For Optimal Exploitation of Opportunities," the institute highlighted the positive performance of the tourism and olive oil sectors in 2025, considering these sectors as two essential pillars of economic growth in Tunisia.
Tunisia Expected to Attract 11 Million Tourists in 2025
In this note, the IACE recalled that Tunisia welcomed 10.2 million tourists in 2024, for the first time since 2019, according to data from the World Tourism Organization. This recovery of the tourism sector contributed to an increase in revenue, which reached 7.5 billion dinars in 2024, a rise of around 8.6% compared to 2023. This increase helped reduce the current deficit to 2.4 billion dinars, or 1.5% of GDP.
The sector continued to record positive figures during the summer of 2025, with 5.3 million arrivals as of July 20, 2025, compared to 4.8 million for the same period in 2024. Tourism revenue also evolved to reach 5.4 billion dinars by the end of August 2025.
Despite the challenges facing the tourism sector, the number of tourists is expected to reach around 11 million in 2025, with revenue of 7.8 billion dinars, the IACE further emphasized.
According to the same source, prospects remain positive for 2026, with revenue expected to reach nearly 8.1 billion dinars, confirming the role of tourism as one of the main pillars of the national economy.
Olive Oil: Good Performance Despite Global Price Drop
Regarding olive oil, the IACE recalled that the 2024/2025 season saw a 37% increase in global olive oil production compared to the 2023/2024 season. This increase is due to the rise in production in major producing countries, starting with Spain, which increased its production by 51%.
The increase in global production contributed to a drop in global prices, with the price per ton falling from $10,281 in January 2024 to $5,448 in January 2025. The decline continued to reach $5,075/ton in June 2025.
At the national level, Tunisia's olive oil production reached 340,000 tons for the 2024/2025 season, a 55% increase compared to the 2023/2024 season. This increase in production strengthened Tunisia's position as the third-largest global producer of olive oil after Spain and Turkey, with 10% of global olive oil production, according to the International Olive Council.
Despite an increase in export volume reaching 252,700 tons by August 2025, revenue decreased to 3.3 billion dinars compared to 4.8 billion dinars during the same period of the previous season, due to the drop in the average export price. "Nevertheless, revenue is expected to remain high despite the drop in global prices."
As for the 2025-2026 season, global production is expected to decrease by 10% due to the expected decline in production from the European Union and Turkey. However, prospects remain positive for Tunisia and Spain, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
