This document outlines trends in Mediterranean tourism and strategies for Tunisian tourism. It discusses major drivers of tourism growth in the region like population growth and technology. Arrivals are projected to increase in North Africa and Southern Europe. Tunisia faces weaknesses like low spending per tourist and seasonality. Opportunities include its democratic reforms and difficulties for competitors. New strategies for Tunisia involve rebranding, diversifying offerings, modernizing the sector through governance reforms, and improving quality and training.

1. Florence University
Laurea Magistrale in Design of Sustainable Tourism Systems
Scuola di Economia e Management
SEMINARIO
The trends of Tunisian tourism
Strategic positioning of Tunisia in
Mediterranean destinations
Kacem Moez
Expert In Tourism

2. OUTLINE
1. The Major Trends of Mediterranean Tourism
2. Basic frame of data trends of Tunisian
Tourism
3. SWOT Anlysis of Tunisian Tourism
4. The new strategy of Tunisian Tourism

3. Introduction

4. Part 1:The major Trends on Mediterranean
Tourism

5. Main drivers for Tourism
POPULATION &
GDP GROWTH
ICT &
MARKETING
CLIMATE CHANGE
ACCELERATION
FDI &
COOPERATION
MAIN
DRIVERS
MedPro

6. Innovative policies
• Intraregional and domestic tourism by enhancing open sky
agreements and introducing new low cost transportation
companies
Source: UNWTO

7. Recent studies of travel preferences which look very
evolutionary and have to be updates frequently (every
2 years)
Source: UNWTO

8. Arrivals Trends growth
International Tourist
Arrivals
(Million)
2013 2020 2030 Growth
Annual average
(20-30)
Southern EU-MED 201.4
(18.5%)
219 264 1.9%
North African 19.6
(1.8%)
31 46 4%
world 1087 1360 1809 2.9%
Source: UNWTO

10. Maritim Tourism
• 3.3 million cruise passengers in 2013 (more
than 10% annual growth from 2005 to 2013)
• the second world cruising zone after the
Caribbean
• Product that is not strongly impacted by crisis
or landscapes pollution
• High value added due to important receipt/
passenger

11. Religious Tourism
• accounts for 15 to 20% of international tourist
arrivals in the Mediterranean area;
• It is not only visitors or pilgrims from Europe or
other long haul destinations, but also
intraregional travelers;
• Creating pilgrimage routes and religious inspired
itineraries
• Communicate better about religious monuments
(e-brochure, advertising…)

12. Wellness Tourism
The wellness tourism economy is all expenditures
made by tourists who seek to improve or maintain
their well-being during or as a result of their trip. It
includes 2 types of expenditures:
 International Wellness Tourism Revenues
All revenues earned by a country from inbound
wellness tourists, with an overnight stay.
 Domestic Wellness Tourism Expenditures
All expenditures in a country made by wellness
tourists who are traveling within their own
country of residence, with an overnight stay.

13. Wellness: Why is important for government,
people and Business??
• Woldwide obesity has nerly doubled since 1980
• Over half of the global business population has
experienced an appreciable rise in workplace stress
in recent years
• Between 2000 and 2050, the proportion of the
world’s population over 60 years will double

15. Promising use of e-tourism tools
service E-tourism Tools
(Pc+Smartphone+
Tablet)
Traditional
Tools
Travel pack 69.8% 30.2%
Cruise 61.9% 38.1%
Hotels 64.7% 35.3%
Car rental 65.1% 34.9%
Train 65.9% 34.1%
Bus 64.3% 35.7%
Source: Eyefortravel – report 2013

16. Use of Social Media
80% of e-tourists read the reviews and 67% of them
were influenced by these reviews;
About 18% of e-tourists are equipped of smartphone
and tehy are using for travel serachs, reviews posts and
reservation
Developping the possibility of buying a tourism service
directly from facebook (exp: Air France)

17. Increasing Speed of Uptake of Technology
 35 years for radio to reach 50 million
 13 years for television to reach 50 million
 5 years for internet to reach 50 million
 1 year for ipods to reach 50 million
 6 months for facebook to reach 100 million

18. Part 2: Basic frame of data trends of
Tunisian Tourism

19. General Data (2013)
Accomodation capacity 240 249
Global Tourists Arrivals 6 268 582
Global overnights 30 001 358
Occupation rate 46,1%
Hotel length of stay (average ) 6.5
Tourism Revenues (Million Euros) 1388.534
Tourism Investments (Million Euros) 128.362
Source: Tourisme en chiffres 2013-ONTT

20. International Tourist Arrivals
2010 2013 2014
(forecasts)
2013 #2010 2013#2014
International
6 902 749 6 268 582
5 700 000 -9,2% - 9%
European 3 814 402 2 896 743 2 400 000 -24,1% -17.14%
North African 2 927 968 3 240 064 3 500 000 10,7% 8%
Middle East 38 280 35 501 35 000 -7,3 % -1.4%
Americains 36 203 23 601 20 000 -34,8 % -15.25%
Source: Tourisme en chiffres 2013-ONTT

21. International Tourists Arrivals

22. International Tourism Revenues

23. Part 3: SWOT ANALYSIS

24. WEAKNESSES
• Average length of stay: Tunisia 6.3 days ;
Morocco 7.6 days;
• Receipt/tourist: 230 euros (lowest average in
MED)
• Tunisian Tourism is still highly dependent on
tour operators of European countries
• Tourism development projects have been
increasingly shaped by coastal resort complexes
and all-inclusive package tours
• Problem of seasonality : occupancy rate is 46%

25. Golf

26. STRENGTHS
• Landscape diversified and rich in natural
resources
• Welcoming and peaceful population
• Existance of strong assets regarding hotels
(847 hotels dispatched on 11 zones)
• Skilled labor and new tourism strategy
• Strong experience in the sector started since
the 60s

27. OPPORTUNITIES
• The acceptance of a democratic constitution, significantly
improved the country’s international image and could
augur well for the future of the tourism sector viewed as
a key priority by all the Tunisians
• Progress of the process of signature of the open sky with
the EU
• Difficulties for some rival destinations such as Egypt,
Greece
• Products responding perfectly to the needs of a large
population over 60 years (this population will double
until from 2000 to 2050)

28. THREATS
• Sliding of the Dinar in comparison with the
foreign currency ($ , Euro)
• Problem of chronic and excessive debts for
hotelkeepers
• The increase of the dependence into
European TO
• The obstinacy of travel limitations to some of
Tunisian regions

29. Part 4: The new strategy of Tunisian
Tourism

30. Branding
• Review of the criteria of prioritization and
distribution of the marketing budgets by
market and by channel
• Implementation of a strategy of the domestic
tourism
• Strengthening of the regional communication
• Adopt the ICT for Branding Tunisian
destination

31. Benefits of ICTs for Tourism in Tunisia
 E-marketing can be used as a low-cost tool.
ICT can help Tunisia sell directly to the world market,
which will boost the Tourism based economy of the country.
ICT can also be used as a better solution for Destination
Management programmes.
Travellers forum can be used as a means to increase the
Tourism Inflow.

32. Diversification of Tourism offer
• Development of Golf, cultural and sahra Products
• New market studies to know the evolution of the
consumers needs
• Implementing alternative offers: standards for
motels & campings, assisting the innovative
projects
• Review of the actual division of touristic regions
and updating the definition of couples
(product/region)

33. Modernization of the tourist sector
• A better governance of the tourism which allows to
move closer the professionals to the institutional
• Look for reliable sources for a long-term financing of
the sector
• The creation of institution which plan and regulate
the tourist activity (National council of tourism,
Monitoring observatory …)

34. Quality and Training
• Better Quality of the reception
• Better quality of the environment
• Better quality of services
• Better quality of transport
• Creation of a national quality label
• Ameliorate the Training programs and
institutions

35. THANK YOU
Grazie
Kacem
Moez