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How can the growth of tourism reduce the development gap?

Tunisia Case Study

How can the growth of tourism reduce the development gap? Tunisia Case Study

Tunisia is a North African country bordering the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert. It has a favourable climate with hot summers and mild winters. It has a range of cultural and historic attractions including the ancient city of Carthage and several Star Wars locations were filmed in the country. Other attractions include the Mediterranean beaches and the Sahara desert. It is accessible via good connections with Europe.  

The ancient city of Carthage, Tunisia

How has tourism in Tunisia grown?

Tunisia experienced a year-on-year average growth rate of 1.14 % for the time period 1976 to 2017 . Since the recession in 2009, there has been an almost exponential growth in tourism in terms of the contribution of travel services to commercial service imports.

How has Tunisia reduced the development gap?  

Over 370,00 jobs have been created in the tourism sector, boosting incomes and increasing the movement of money within the economy. The development of coastal resorts has benefited a range of local businesses including taxis, restaurants, shops and the construction industry. The growth of tourism has boosted the agricultural sector as demand for food has increased with tourist numbers. Due to the economic boost provided by tourism the government has been able to invest more money into education and health care. This investment has resulted in improved literacy rates and life expectancy .  

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Diversification is key to Tunisian tourism recovery

• New-generation resorts should look beyond beach holidays
• Country could capitalise more on its cultural heritage 
• Political unrest has prevented Tunisia competing with Egypt or Morocco

Tunisia must diversify its tourism offerings, according to experts, as the country continues to chart a course of recovery from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The number of foreign visitors to the North African nation in 2022 is forecast to reach over 6 million, as revealed by Lofti Mani, central director of promotion at Tunisia’s National Tourist Office, part of the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts.

The figure is slightly higher than the target under the strategy set up for the revival of tourism during 2022-2024.

The strategy aims to reach 50 to 60 percent of the tourism figures recorded in 2019 at the end of 2022; 80 percent in 2023 and a return to normal tourism dynamics in 2024.

• Tunisians protest against poverty, high prices and food shortages
• Tunisia looks to boost trade with African neighbours

However, in order to reach a full recovery, Christopher Lund, executive director and head of hotels Mena region at Colliers, told AGBI that Tunisia must adapt from its decades-long reputation as a beach and summer sun destination.

He said: “Tunisia could benefit from a plan to reposition its touristic destinations which in turn would lead to an opportunity for hotels to improve their occupancy and average rates.

“This would mean looking at new source markets to diversify the inbound tourism mix, as well as attracting new investments to develop new-generation resort complexes, destinations, masterplans and bringing new brands and concepts to the market.”

Tunisia’s main source markets this year were France, Germany, UK, Poland and the Czech Republic. There were also 1.013 million Algerian visitors.

The number of overnight stays is also up to 18.5 million nights until December 10, 36 percent shy of 2019 figures.

Leila Ben-Gacem, senior consultant at Blue Fish Consulting, said the switch to alternative and experiential tourism is something Tunisia can take advantage of thanks to the country’s rich landscape and cultural heritage.

“From olive farms opening up to tourists to collect olives, to startups designing a tour guide from your smart phone’s app to ceramic workshops for kids – they might be modest investments, but I believe those micro-businesses are the future of Tunisia’s tourism experience,” she said.

Several programmes have been implemented to boost the Tunisian tourism sector, supported by the EU and its Tounes Wijhetouna programme to support diversification of tourism, handicrafts development and heritage enhancement.

Visit Tunisia, a five-year, USAID-funded activity, is designed to grow and diversify Tunisian tourism, generate sustainable jobs and increase tourism revenues. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit has its Promotion of Sustainable Tourism Programme.

Dr Ross Curran, assistant professor at Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, said Tunisia already benefits from a diverse range of tourism offerings, from the archaeology of Carthage, to globally recognisable film set locations, such as El Jem.

“Building on this, Tunisia could see significant growth through ecological and sustainable tourism development,” he said.

Tunisia is also gaining popularity for its affordable healthcare facilities and high standards of medical services, which makes it a preferred destination for medical tourism, which makes up roughly 5 percent of its offering.

The country was ranked 38th out of 46 global destinations on the Medical Tourism Index 2020-2021 released by the Medical Tourism Association in 2021.

“The government has created a robust ecosystem by improving the medical facilities to increase the foreign tourist inflow in the country,” added Curran.

The Tunisian government’s National Tourism Strategy 2035 aims to make the country a sustainable and competitive tourist destination.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, investment intentions of about $157 million were recorded in the first quarter of 2022.

Nadaa Ghozzi, general manager of Select Travel and Tours in Tunisia, said political unrest for the past 12 years has had a dramatic impact on the country’s economy, which has also led to a reduction in promotion budgets.

She said this must be restored in order to challenge neighbouring destinations.

“Tunisia lacks financial means today to compete with giants such as Turkey, Egypt and Morocco marketing and promotion wise,” she said. 

“My view is that we are stuck in the chicken and egg paradox, where we cannot even feed the chicken in order for it to lay eggs.”

Top 5 tourist attractions in Tunisia

Amphitheatre of El Jem The impressive ruins of the largest colosseum in North Africa, a huge amphitheatre which could hold up to 35,000 spectators, are found in the small village of El Jem. This 3rd-century monument illustrates the grandeur and extent of Imperial Rome.

Kairouan Located in the centre of Tunisia in a plain at an almost equal distance from the sea and the mountains, Kairouan is the most ancient Arabo-Muslim base of the Maghreb (670 AD) and one of its principal holy cities. Its rich architectural heritage includes the Great Mosque, with its marble and porphyry columns, and the 9th-century Mosque of the Three Gates.

Star Wars Although some of the sets created for Star Wars filming in Tunisia have been destroyed by time and the desert environs, many of the structures are still standing and continue to draw visitors who wish to experience the magical atmosphere for themselves. The best-preserved Star Wars sets in Tunisia include Ksour, Matmata, Nefta and Ong Jemal.

Jugurtha’s Table This spectacular flat-topped mountain of Jugurtha Tableland is an incredible limestone mesa near the town of Kalaat es Senam, which stands almost 1,200 metres above the Ez-Zghalma plain. Legend holds that Masinissa, the first king of Numidia, built the first fortress there around 200 BC.

Chott el Djerid This large endorheic salt lake in southern Tunisia was used as a filming location for the Star Wars series, among others. It was also described in Jules Verne’s last novel, Invasion of the Sea. According to legend, it was here that the Greek goddess Athena was born.

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13 Sustainable Tourism Growth and Climate Change Impacts: Case of Tunisia

From the book sustainable tourism dialogues in africa.

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Case Study: Ichkeul National Park (Tunisia)

• Toolkit About the Sustainable Tourism Toolkit How to use this guide? Our Objective Resource Library
• Guides Strategic foundations Guide 1: Understanding Guide 2: Strategy Guide 3: Governance Guide 4: Engagement Core Delivery Guide 5: Communication Guide 6: Infrastructure Guide 7: Value Guide 8: Behaviour Guide 9: Investment Guide 10: Monitoring
• Case Studies Guide 1: Historic Town of Vigan Guide 2: Angkor Guide 2: Ichkeul National Park Guide 3: Melaka and George Town Guide 4: Avebury Guide 4: Old and New Towns of Edinburgh Guide 4: Great Barrier Reef Guide 4: Røros mining town and the circumference Guide 5: Røros Mining Town and the Circumference Guide 6: Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape (United Kingdom) Guide 7: Røros Mining Town and the Circumference Guide 8: Wadi Al-Hitan Guide 9: Land of Frankincense

Baseline situation

Ichkeul National Park is characterized by a very specific hydrological functioning system, based on seasonal alternation of water levels and salinity. The lake and surrounding marshes constitute a stopover for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds, such as ducks, geese, storks, and pink flamingos that winter at Ichkeul.

It was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1996 due to dams upstream that had cut off nearly all the fresh water flow to the lake and interfered with the natural flora, resulting in a severe decrease in the number of birds stopping in the Park.

What did they do?

In order to involve stakeholders at all levels, the Ichkeul National Park Management Committee was formed with representatives from local communities, the Ichkeul Agricultural Development Group, government authorities, and various other parties.

Maintaining tourism was deemed fundamental – a UNESCO-funded marketing campaign promoted the Park as a tourist destination, and a new visitor centre was built. Local schemes trained Park guides and raised awareness of the sensitive nature of Ichkeul National Park, and protection measures were implemented around the Park itself, restricting human access while working towards restoring the equilibrium of the wetlands.

Strategic priorities

• Educating local population and tourists about the sensitive nature of the wetland ecosystem.
• Involving local communities in the management of the World Heritage site.
• Eliminating or minimizing other practices and conditions that negatively affect the site, including hunting, grazing, and air pollution.
• Restoring the natural equilibrium of the wetlands, specifically the necessary water levels, salinity, and flora.
• Attracting tourists, and implementing a sustainably strategy that does not negatively affect the eco-system of the Park.

What worked? 

After receiving funding from UNESCO’s emergency assistance fund, the Park initiated a marketing campaign and established basic guide-training and credit schemes . This increased the involvement of local businesses and communities in tourism activities, expanded local employment, and enables a greater distribution of the economic benefits from the tourism industry. In order to involve stakeholders at all levels , the Ichkeul National Park Management Committee was formed with representatives from local communities, the Ichkeul Agricultural Development Group, government authorities, and various other parties.

The ‘tourist offer’ was expanded to include nature trails , guided tours, bird-watching, traditional hammams (hot baths), excursions to the douars (tented camps) and local villages, amongst others. Maintaining particular routes has kept visitation pressures low and resulted in raising awareness about conserving the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the site and the importance of using the wetlands in a sustainable manner.

Adaptation measures have been developed and water supply planning now accounts for the consumption of fresh water by the lake and marsh. Freshwater inflow from the dams upstream and exchanges of salted water with the sea downstream is regulated, and a tailored scientific monitoring programme has also been implemented

What was tough?

Funding had to be established before any of the positive changes could be initiated. Furthermore, the active promotion of the National Park as a tourism destination has come about through the cooperation between the Park authorities and tour operators, travel agents, and the Tunisian National Tourist Organization – these relationships had to be developed.

How did they get buy-in?

The value of the site as a tourist destination was recognized , along with the realization that the negative effect of the dam affected the value of the Park and the local community. Regaining and increasing the attention of tourists was recognized as necessary for the future of the site, and the increase in tourism has generated income which, in addition to contributing to to the maintenance of the Park’s infrastructure, feeds into the local economy. 

What are the results?

Ichkeul National Park was taken off the Heritage in Danger List in 2006, after being on the List for over ten years. Tourist numbers have doubled (approx. 50,000 per annum), but t he impact of increased visitation is kept low as general access to the marshes and the lake is restricted to special circuits with observation towers and look-out points. Approved routes are well-marked, and trained local guides for tourists ensure the protection of the marshes from negative tourism pressures.

Training schemes mean that local residents have the opportunity to enter the tourism sector more easily, making tourism more sustainable in the long term as local knowledge, awareness and involvement has increased. The increase in tourism has generated income, which, in addition to contributing to the maintenance of the Park’s infrastructure – its visitor centre for example – and to conservation management, feeds into the local economy via the wages of a local workforce.

What lessons can others take from this?

The OUV of many World Heritage sites, particularly natural sites, is derived from their unique habitat and the wildlife it attracts. However, these conditions are fragile and require a specific balance of conditions that depend on minimal human impact. This renders their attractiveness as tourist destinations problematic, and in order to maintain the conditions that are valued, the inevitable impact of any human visitation must be kept to the minimum.

The Ichkeul National Park was on the Danger List for ten years before being removed in 2006. Positive change does not happen over night! But Ichkeul National Park shows that with hard work, a clear vision, and the inclusion of the local community, positive change can be implemented with even the most delicate of sites visited sustainably by tens of thousands of tourists.

For more details regarding collaboration and implementation of Ichkeul's strategy, see the decision document from the 27th World Heritage Committee session here (pg. 11).

Developing a strategy for progressive change

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Tunisia tourism case study

Subject: Geography

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

4 February 2020

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A comprehensive one page case study of the impact of tourism in Tunisia. Perfect for any specification, but written specifically for the AQA GCSE 9-1 course.

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