WHY Saudis are abandoning us?," asks my Tunisian tour guide. I heard a similar question in Beirut, too. "You, Gulf and Libyan tourists, used to visit us more often. Your visitors are the most generous. Unlike Europeans, they stay longer and spend much more. "As a result of recent security scares, only Africans come, these days. They are not as affluent European and Gulf tourists and feed less into our economy. In addition, political and economic turmoil in neighboring countries have decreased their numbers and spending," he explains. "You see, one of the main sources of income is tourism. It comes right after agriculture, but more than phosphate, industries and services. We used to have seven million tourists. Now we have four millions. We need you back, dear brothers and sisters, you are the best," my Tunisian guide concludes. I used to visit Tunisia frequently before the so-called Arab Spring. My first visits were in the early 1980s. At the time, the infrastructure was basic, but functional. Tourism was an important source of income, but not as much as today. In the late 1980s, strategies changed and tourism became a major goal. To achieve it, Tunisia built — in the 1990s and up to 2010 — extensive modern networks of roads, railway, trams, airports, ports, communication and training facilities. The private sector and its international partners have invested heavily in world-class hotels, spas, shopping centers and other services. Europeans — especially French, British, Italian and Turkish and Arabs, especially Saudis, Kuwaits, Emirates and Libyans —have invested billions in tourism, as well as other parts of the economy. In Hammamet city alone, dozens of full-facility, large, 4/5-star hotels were built every year. Thousands of new rooms were added annually to accommodate increasing numbers of visitors, reaching up to 250,000 accommodation units. Modern and sophisticated as they were, Tunisians managed to preserve their Roman, Carthage, Arab, Ottoman and French heritage in good shape. You could live elegant civilization in their old towns and historical cites. Museums, souks, art galleries, traditional handicrafts, refurbished homes, palaces, restaurants and cafes linked past to present and future. Small fishing and farming villages, as much as older parts of cities and towns, have maintained their traditions. Tunisia is mostly a farming land. They produce quality olive, orange, lemon, grape, wheat and poultry, to be exported to Spain, Italy and France. Green Tunisia seems like a part of Europe with its mountains, valleys and coasts. Its desert oases connect it more to Northern Africa and its Arab world. For these qualities, Europe sent its tourists down to Tunisia seeking warmth in cold months and sunny beaches in summer and spring. Its spas are French and Italian in standard but much more affordable. Most tourists came from France (1 million), Germany (500,000), Britain and Italy (350,000 each). The rest comes mostly from Libya (2.2 million), Algeria (1.1 million) and the Gulf states (40,000). Those numbers changed dramatically after 2010. The turbulent events following the revolution have scared away most tourists, especially Europeans. North African Arabs (2.5 million) and Russians (400,000) increased but have not compensated for the European loss of 2.5 million. In 2015, three terrorist attacks on foreigners have frightened visitors and brought the thriving tourism to a halt. In 2016, security and stability improved to a normal state. The damage, however, has been done. The industry would need much more marketing and efforts to bring back what was lost. I told the Tunisian Tourism Minister, Salma Elloumi Rekik, "I hope you won't neglect the Gulf market, again. We are not as easily scared off by terror or instability. Our conservative families are always in the look for suitable destinations. "Like Malaysia, Egypt and Turkey, you make a great holiday choice. I suggest you cater to Gulf family needs and to re-establish the tourist office for Saudi and the Gulf market that you had from 2004-2007. It did a lot to present you and serve our needs. Since its closure, our tourists' numbers have dwindled." Rekik agreed to all the above. She promised to re-establish the Gulf Tourism Office, based in Jeddah, in the near future. She also needs to redirect, restructure and reignite the industry. With her impressive resume in the private sector, I trust she is capable of doing what is needed invigorate Tunisian tourism and bring back its past glories, and more. So, why not Tunisia? Let's give it a shot. I promise, you won't regret it! — Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi is a Saudi writer based in Jeddah. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him at Twitter:@kbatarfi
