The number of foreigners who visited Tunisia in 2022 should reach more than 6 million tourists, slightly more than the target set in the framework of the strategy put in place for the revival of tourism during the 2022 period. -2024, but this performance remains below the reference year 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the forecasts of the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts, this strategy aims to reach 50 to 60% of the rate of tourist activity recorded in 2019, at the end of 2022, 80% of the indicators for 2019, in 2023 and a return to tourism dynamics in 2024, said, on December 20, 2022, to the Tap agency, the central director of promotion at the Tunisian National Tourist Office (ONTT), Lotfi Mani, adding that up to date, the sector’s results are in line with the objectives set at the beginning of the year, namely to reach 50 to 60% of the rate of tourist activity recorded in 2019 (9.5 million tourists).
“For the winter of 2022/2023, we are on a good path, particularly with a positive trend that emerged in 2022, and given the scheduled organization of several cultural events (Douz and Tozeur festivals) and demonstrations of sports in the south of the country,” he said.
Tourist activity began in Tunisia in April 2022, due to travel restrictions (health pass and PCR test), recalled Mr. Mani, but since the beginning of the year and until December 10, 5.9 million foreign tourists (French, Germans, Italians, British, Poles, Czechs, etc.), including 1 million Algerians, have visited Tunisia.
The number of tourist nights spent in our country has increased compared to 2020 and 2021 to reach 18.5 million until December 10, with a negative difference of 36% compared to 2019, the reference year, a-t he further explained.
During the period concerned, tourist receipts amounted to 4,000 million dinars.
Regarding local tourism, Mr. Mani said that this market has developed in recent years. “It’s not a lifeline, but it constitutes a guarantee for Tunisian tourism against the vagaries of the international market,” he said.
To promote the Tunisian destination, we participated, in 2022, in 46 fairs and exhibitions around the world (London, Italy, France, Germany, and Algeria, etc.), and carried out 170 promotional operations (workshops, roadshows, and evenings) at the international level, again recalled the head of the ON TT. And to add that at the level of sales promotion, 37 campaigns were carried out with foreign tour operators.
At the local level, Mr. Mani recalled the reception of 97 press trips made up of 400 journalists during the year 2022 and the actions undertaken with the profession, through the organization of 70 fun trips in the presence of 1,400 agents. trip representing ten countries.
“Currently, we are carrying out campaigns on the domestic and Algerian markets through two communication agencies which were selected by calls for tenders”, specified Mr. Mani, adding: “We have opted for the digital channel via social networks Facebook and Instagram, to promote Tunisian destinations. Each week we target a region through image and video, emphasizing the gastronomic, traditional, cultural, and natural assets, in order to encourage Tunisians to visit these destinations”.
In the absence of large resources, the Tunisian promotion strategy on foreign markets will be based on prioritization, taking into account several parameters (entries, receipts and mobility coefficient, etc.) to target promising markets including Germany, France, England, Italy, Poland, and the Czech Republic, said Mr. Mani, adding that, for Russia, and given the current situation of war with Ukraine, we have kept certain visibility and programmed a reserve financial tactics to take action in case the situation improves.
