After two years marked by the health crisis, Tunisian tourism recovered in the second half of 2022. This upward trend was confirmed in 2023, with 8.8 million visitors, an increase of 49.3% compared to 2022. Structural changes are needed for steering the sector towards a sustainable and inclusive future, but the will and absorption capacity of the national authorities remain critical. In a context conducive to change at local and regional level, the project supports an inclusive and territorial development approach that place the local actors in the center of the strategy.

The project overall goal is to strengthen sustainable, inclusive tourism for generating income, improving existing jobs and creating new ones for the population. The programme contributes to the attractiveness of selected destinations in Southeast Tunisia by supporting local actors (incl. Destination Management Organizations - DMO), projects and initiatives, by strengthening skills in the field of alternative tourism and by enhancing the regulatory framework. The creation of a fund will allow a demand-driven approach in the development of the destinations and necessary adaptations at policy level, thus ensuring the sustainability of the interventions.

The project aims to achieve the following three outcomes:

Outcome 1: Destinations - the attractiveness of target destinations in terms of sustainable tourism is enhanced

Outcome 2: Skills development – the quality of tourism supply and of services has increased thanks to new vocational trainings in sustainable tourism

Outcome 3: Regulatory and legislative framework – Legislation and regulatory framework are adapted to the needs of the sector, thus facilitating the development of alternative tourism.

Erwartete Resultate:  

New local development projects connecting local value chains actors are created, facilitated by the DMOs

A sustainable tourism development strategy for the municipality of Sousse is developed and "quickwins" implemented

New skills development trainings are developed for guesthouse owners, for hiking and cultural guides

Reform needs in relation to sustainable tourism is considered by the Ministry of Tourism

Public-Private Dialogue is established, for finding e.g. ways of financing DMOs.

Resultate von früheren Phasen:  

The two phases of the precedent tourism project implemented in Tunisia since 2014 have provided an excellent visibility of alternative tourism in the destinations Dahar and Djerba (Dahar award as Green Destination at ITB Berlin in 2022, Routard travelguide established Southeast Tunisia in the top 10 regions to discover in 2024, Djerba inscription at UNESCO)

DMOs developed into key actors of tourism management in their respective locations, which also allowed to establish solid connections to other development partners, such as USAID, the EU and GIZ.

Increase in tourist arrivals/overnights in Dahar, which have doubled since the start of the project, and the average length of stay is around two nights, which represents a 50% increase compared to phase 1 of the previous project.