When the people of Tunisia rose up against the dictatorship of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in December 2010, they ignited a wave of protests that spread through North Africa and the Middle East – to Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, Israel and Oman.

The Arab Spring began in Tunisia and the country’s so-called Jasmine Revolution has been one of the most peaceful examples of the change of power across the region. 

And the transition to a new state has been markedly less violent than in neighbouring Libya or other states in the region.

Despite the relatively peaceful change in Tunisia, the upheaval has understandably impacted the country’s important tourism industry, which employs 36% of the population, contributing to 6.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Tunisia’s tourism industry is more developed than that of its neighbours, Libya and Algeria. The small French-speaking country has been a major destination for European visitors seeking sunshine and exoticism since the 1960s, and tourism has played a major role in developing the country’s economy. 

Tourists are attracted to Tunisia’s beaches, climate and culture, as well as some stunning examples of ancient architectural history, such as the incomparable city of Carthage, which has stood for more than 3,000 years.

Tunisia welcomed 6.9 million visitors in 2010, roughly the same number as the previous year, but a shade down (2%) on 2008. 

“The political situation has had an impact on tourists’ perceptions of the country and its arrival figures,” says Anissa Ramoundi, director of the Tunisian National Tourist Office in London.

“Following the Jasmine Revolution, visitor figures did drop considerably in February and March 2011, and bookings are down,” she adds. 

The biggest inbound tourism markets continue to be the major European markets of France, Germany, Italy and Britain. Indeed, in 2010, France accounted for 1.39 million visitors – the largest European market for Tunisia. 

Russian visitor numbers soared by 49% to 188,000 last year, and are expected to grow significantly again this year following the introduction of a host of new services.

In marked contrast to Europe, the total number of US and Canadian citizens visiting remains starkly small at just 36,000 during 2010, almost unchanged for the past two years.

Air services

Recent new route launches include Thomson’s London Gatwick and Manchester to Djerba, which began on May 5, 2011, and Tunisair’s Manchester to Monsatir, which started on May 21. 

Tunisair is also this summer operating new routes from Enfidha to the German airports of Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich. 

Meanwhile, low-cost operator, Transavia, started a route from Marseilles to Monastir last year and has recently opened sales for new flights from Paris Orly to Djerba and Monastir for the winter 2011/12 season.

Tunisian carrier Nouvelair launched Tunis to Moscow Domodedovo in November 2010, and Russian airline, Transaero, commenced new services to Enfidah from Moscow and St Petersburg.

Konstantin Tyrkin, Transaero’s head of international press relations, says: “Transaero considers Tunisia to be a very important destination in the company’s route network because this country is extremely popular with Russians.”

It’s not only European visitors that are attracted to Tunisia, however, as Emirates launched an additional fourth weekly A330-200 flight in May 2011 from Dubai to Tunis. 

So why is Emirates expanding services to Tunis now? Jean Luc Grillet, Emirates’ senior vice president of commercial operations for Africa, told Routes News: “The increased frequency of the service reflects the continued rise in passenger numbers. 

“The African continent is one that is constantly evolving and Tunisia is steadily growing, both on a national and international level. Emirates is determined to closely follow this growth and be part of the country’s economic expansion. We believe that conditions in Tunisia are now appropriate for us to increase services again.”

Effect of politics on air services

Owing to political uncertainty after the revolution, Jet2Holidays has made the decision to drop Tunisia (and Egypt) from its schedule until autumn 2012. 

However, managing director, Steve Heapy, has indicated that the company constantly reviews the situation in the country and could return sooner than that. 

“At the moment Egypt and Tunisia are not in the brochure because we have not made a decision to return but we continue to review it on a weekly basis and if we feel that conditions are right we will look at it if there is demand for that,” he says.

It’s a bit of a different story with legacy carriers though. “British Airways and [flag carrier] Tunisair did not cancel any of their flights during the revolution – and BA actually saw an increase in bookings after January 14, 2011, compared with January 2010,” notes Ramoundi. 

Thomas Cook, Thomson and First Choice resumed their normal flight schedules to Tunisia at the end of February 27, and although traffic is on the rise, Ramoundi is not afraid to point out that business is not exactly booming.

“Low prices are attracting holidaymakers, but bookings are not back to normal yet. And it is not just the Tunisian revolution which has affected tourism, it is what has happened in neighbouring countries like Libya,” says Ramoundi.

“People don’t realise how calm the tourist resorts are in Tunisia right now. The tourist resorts have not been affected by the revolution and are far from the political unrest which took place in central Tunisia and the capital.”

Potential obstacles to growth?

It would be naïve in the extreme to think that the political road ahead for Tunisia will be all plain sailing. Indeed, elections scheduled for July have already been delayed until October to make sure that they are free and fair. 

Meanwhile, an uglier spectre raised its head when two suspected Libyan Al Qaeda militants were killed – along with two Tunisian troops – during a gun battle on May 18, some 125 miles north of Tunis. 

Tunisia’s Le Temps newspaper suggested that maps of targets in Bizerte, Tabarka and Hammamet were found on the dead militants, and that Al Qaeda could be planning attacks on tourist sites in Tunisia. 

If this proves true, it could be a severe blow to the recovery of the tourism industry. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (also known as AQIM) has been active in neighbouring Algeria, and Tunisian authorities will certainly be concerned that any ongoing conflict in Libya – and Algeria – could spill over into the relatively tranquil Tunisia.

Despite this, the outlook in Tunisia appears stable for now. Emirates’ Jean Luc Grillet says: “We feel that tourism is poised to grow again, and are pleased to play our part in supporting that. Tunisia offers many opportunities – it is considered one of the leading tourism destinations, as well as an important business destination.”

Thomson’s Paul Cooper remains positive: “Tunisia is still a wonderful holiday destination providing all-year good weather with a fantastic selection of quality hotels offering great service, not to mention the wealth of historical sites on offer.”

Sani Şener, CEO of TAV Airports Holding which built and operates the new gateway at Enfidah, adds: “We hold an optimistic view of the country’s future and its tourism industry. TAV would be willing to invest more in Tunisia depending on the availability and feasibility of conditions and opportunities.”