China: A Lucrative Market for Tunisia's Tourism Industry
With over 100 million travelers per year, China represents a goldmine for the international tourism industry. According to a report by McKinsey, Chinese tourists spend an average of twice as much as European travelers, with a marked preference for high-end stays and exclusive experiences.
For Tunisia, which is seeking to diversify its markets beyond Europe, attracting this clientele is a strategic challenge. Chinese tourists with high purchasing power prioritize destinations that combine cultural heritage, shopping, and hotel comfort. In 2024, their average spending abroad reached $3,500 to $5,000 per stay, compared to around $1,200 for a European tourist, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The target audience is mainly from large metropolises (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen), with a profile of senior executives, entrepreneurs, and wealthy young urbanites.
Competitive Advantages of Tunisia
Tunisia has several assets that can attract Chinese tourists looking for new discoveries. Its unique historical heritage, including Carthage, Kairouan, El Jem, and Dougga, offers a Mediterranean alternative to traditional European circuits. With over 570 classified hotels, including a portion in the high-end segment, often at more attractive prices than Southern Europe, Tunisia's beach tourism is competitive.
The Sahara, meanwhile, is a unique product: desert destinations (Tozeur, Douz) can be positioned as exclusive experiences, with luxury lodges, private tours, and experiential tourism.
Structural Barriers
Despite these advantages, several handicaps still limit Tunisia's competitiveness in the Chinese market. The absence of direct flights between China and Tunisia is a major obstacle, lengthening travel times and discouraging demand. There is also a lack of adapted services: Chinese-speaking guides, translated menus, and Chinese payment methods (Alipay, WeChat Pay).
Tunisia's low digital visibility is another issue, with the country being almost absent from China's reference platforms (WeChat, Douyin, Mafengwo). This highlights the need to invest in multichannel communication and digital marketing.
Rapprochement and Solutions
To strengthen air connectivity, seasonal links with Beijing or Shanghai should be considered, possibly through partnerships with Gulf airlines. Additionally, investing in training is crucial: creating a corps of Chinese-speaking guides and hotel staff to improve the customer experience.
Another means of rapprochement is to conduct targeted campaigns on Chinese social networks, in partnership with travel influencers ("key opinion leaders"). This should be combined with the development of a premium offer prioritizing circuits that combine beach tourism, archaeology, and luxury Sahara experiences, with tailored services.
To achieve this, collaboration with major Chinese agencies specializing in high-end tourism is necessary.
Necessary Diversification
In 2024, Tunisia welcomed around 9 million tourists, with over 80% coming from Europe and the Maghreb. However, the Chinese market represents a potential for several tens of thousands of additional high-value visitors. If Tunisia can capture just 1% of China's high-end tourist flows, this would represent an annual influx of over $200 million, considering their purchasing power.
As the country seeks to reposition its offer towards high-end tourism and secure its foreign exchange earnings, attracting wealthy Chinese tourists appears to be a lifeline, provided that investments are made immediately in connectivity, cultural adaptation, and targeted communication.
