Tunis--Still smarting from a jihadist attack that killed 21 foreign tourists last month, Tunisia is hoping to save the summer season with new security measures and an ad campaign touting its safety as a destination, but industry leaders are glum.
Tourism, which accounts for 7.0 percent of the country's economy, was already suffering from the fallout of Tunisia's 2011 revolution, when gunmen attacked the capital's Bardo National Museum on March 18, killing tourists from around Europe and further afield, as well as a policeman.
Radhouane Ben Salah, president of the Tunisian Hotel Federation, said that "it's difficult to be optimistic for the tourist season, but we will try to save the situation somewhat.
"The most worrying thing is the halt to reservations for the summer," said Ben Salah, fearing a wash-out.
The drop in bookings has been precipitous.
Former colonial power France is the number one source of Tunisia's visitors, and its National Union of Travel Agencies says bookings are off by 60 percent since the museum attack compared with a year earlier.
Mohamed Ali Toumi, president of the Tunisian Federation of Travel Agencies, has stressed that reassuring tourists of their safety is key.
And Tourism Minister Salma Rekik announced last week a raft of measures aimed at preventing another deadly incident.
The country will pump up security at tourist sites and on the routes to them, as well as at airports and on all means of transportation.
And riding the wave of international solidarity after the Bardo slaughter, Tunisia is playing up its image and attractions for tourists.
The authorities have launched a #TUNISIAILLBETHERE poster campaign in major cities across Europe with the support of a host of celebrities.
A website shows photos of happy individuals -- men and women, old and young -- holding up a sign with that message in Tunisia's signature red and white colours, or alternatively in Dutch, French, German, Italian or Polish.
AFP
