TravelPulse Canada On Scene: Meet Tunisia

TravelPulse Quebec was on a press tour to Tunisia last week to get familiar with popular seaside resorts on the east coast, and to visit the historic cities of Sousse, Tunis, Carthage and the popular, charming village of Sidi Bou Saïd.

Tunisia ended the year 2020 with a record 9,497,000 visitors.

"We can see that the French market has come back in force and that the health of the tourism sector has really recovered," said Farida Henni, head of marketing and communications at the National Tourist Office of Tunisia in Canada (ONTT), during the last SITV. "In the North American market, in October of last year we welcomed 16,824 visitors, which represents an increase of 23% compared to the same period in 2018. "

Strongly shaken by the attacks of 2015, these figures demonstrate that tourism in Tunisia has indeed picked up.

On site, we could see that security measures have been deployed around Tunis and the main tourist sites. We also noted that access to the main seaside destinations on the east coast is monitored and controlled, as is entry to hotels, so that tourists never have the feeling of being in danger.

"Seasonality no longer needs to be. With the direct flight from Tunisair since 2016, we are now selling Tunisia from January to December," said Henni, still at SITV.

Although sometimes cool, the winter months are also a good choice for tourism. It appears that the prices of the hotels are then cut in half and these months constitute an ideal time to practice golf or even to go to the Sahara Desert.

Bathing enthusiasts can also wait until the end of February and the beginning of March, when the mild temperatures favour a significant recovery in tourism before the high summer season.

Tunisair's direct flight from YUL to TUN in eight hours (up to three times a week in high season) is a major asset. Passengers also are entitled to two, 23 kg bags in the hold, which is considerable. It should also be noted that any golf bag weighing less than 15 kg is transported free of charge, a bonus that's sure to appeal to golfers.

There are many advantages for Canadians visiting Tunisia, including the warm and welcoming Tunisian people, the fact that it is a French-speaking destination, the 1,300 km of coastline with golden sand and azure waters, and easy access (just a few hours) to the wonders of the Sahara Desert.