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Tunisia Develops Tourism On-Line Strategy

By Robert Bailey

Thursday, 12 November 2009 12:16

Tunisias_Minister_for_Tourism_Khelil_Lajimi

The last twelve months have been one of the most challenging periods ever experienced in the global tourism industry and signs of recovery are eagerly being sought at this week’s World Travel Market being held at the London Excel Centre.

However, even hitherto strong markets that have experienced a decline in visitors during 2009 are likely to find that consumer behaviour has undergone fundamental change according to Tunisia’s Minister for Tourism Khelil Lajimi.

“About half of all tourists are now booking their vacations in the same month as they travel. This contrasts with a few years ago when bookings were made three to six months prior to departure,” he told Global Arab Network.

“Today we see people surfing the net to find the right products, quality and prices for themselves. I believe that vacationers will increasingly mainly be booking late and the challenge is to meet this changing pattern of consumer behaviour.”

The minister says he is working to distribute Tunisia’s tourism product via the Internet. “We are pushing products and hoteliers onto the web and system reservations on-line.”

The forward looking approach is likely to be needed. Latest results from the World Tourism Organisation indicate that worldwide visitor arrivals dropped 7 per cent over the first eight months of 2009. The WTO is forecasting a 5 per cent drop for the whole year matching an earlier prediction which suggested a 4-6 per cent decline.

A healthy level of tourism is vital for Tunisia’s economy since the sector contributes 6 per cent of the country’s GDP and provides nearly 20 per cent of foreign currency earnings. The industry provides more than 340,000 jobs directly and indirectly and is also a key component in the dynamics of the whole region’s development.

WTO data suggests that Tunisia has achieved 4.6 per cent increase in revenue in the first nine months of 2009.

The UN World Tourism Organisation’s latest barometer of global tourism trends states that Tunisia continues to benefit from “very competitive cost structures compared with resorts on the northern Mediterranean shores.” The WTO says this advantage has been reinforced by the strength of the euro and depreciation of the British pound since the UK is a major market for the destination.

As well as meeting the on-line challenge, Tunisia is also moving to broaden its appeal and take itself upmarket by adding its strong cultural and historical heritage to its sun and beach attractions.

“We want to encourage cultural tourism and diversify our product. Tunisia has three thousand years of history from Carthage and the Ottomans till now. With the Ministry of Culture we developing added value products and creating a cultural circuit.”

The Sahara is another focus development says Mr Lajimi. Nevertheless the package beach holiday business remains the locomotive of the sector. “We are looking to upgrade hotels and facilities. There is a national upgrading programme.”

Increasing the number and frequency of flights into the country is also seen as a critical factor which is why Tunisia has opted for an open skies policy.

Negotiations are being conducted with the European Union’s Transport Commissioner and Minister Lajimi says he hopes that the new policy will be implemented by 2011.

Influential carriers especially Easyjet and Ryanair have shown considerable interest in the planned move, he says. Meanwhile Tunisia’s major new airport at Enfidha will start receiving flights in November and is geared for a substantial increase in visitor arrivals

National carrier Tunis Air is acquiring 16 new aircraft comprising ten single-aisle A320s, three A330-200s and three A350-800s. The first A320s are due next year and will help expand the airline’s regional operations. Acquisition of the A330s and later the A350s will move the airline into long haul operations in particular to North America.

Global Arab Network