Today 26 July, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has lifted its advice against travel to the majority of the country including Tunisia’s main tourism attractions.

“We are delighted to receive this news still in time for last minute summer holiday bookings and the winter season” commented Mounira Ben Cherifa, Director of the Tunisian National Tourist Office in the UK. “We will be communicating with all of our tour operators to see how quickly we can get airlift reinstated, meanwhile Tunis Air are flying daily from London Heathrow and Gatwick into Tunis”.

Tunisia recorded 2,833,781 tourist arrivals, up 29.4% from January 1 to July 10, 2017, compared to the same period in 2016. Regarding the traditional markets of Tunisia, even though European tourists account for only 17% of total arrivals, their number increased by 22.7%. The French ranked first with 228,094 tourists, up 43.1%, followed by Germans (67,912 tourists) and Italians (40,113). The British also returned to Tunisia, with 11,955 arrivals reported.

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Notes to editors

Tunisia is less than 3 hours flying from the UK with daily flights from London Heathrow and Gatwick airports to Tunis.  It is a year-round destination blessed with 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, beautiful landscapes and beaches, world-class golf, great food and the Sahara Desert. Any advice against travel is now limited to the land borders, Tunisia is roughly the same size as England and the most visited areas are on the coast.

For further information about Tunisia, visit www.discovertunisia.com

For press information and up-coming press trips contact:

Alison Cryer, First Public Relations

Eve Gardiner, First Public Relations

Sebastian Sarrasin, First Public Relations

Tel: 0208 877 4523 / 4508

Email: pr@firstpr.co.uk

London, 25th July 2017 - Tunisia recorded 1,527,891 tourist arrivals, up 46.2% from January 1 to May 20, 2017, compared to the same period in 2016.

The start of a recovery in European tourism, particularly in France and Germany, to the destination Tunisia, can be seen in the latest statistics published by the Tunisian National Tourist Office (TNTO).

The Maghreb tourism remains predominant, accounting for 60.2% of tourists arriving during this period, with 1,148,037 people, i.e. an increase of 51.6% compared to the same period of 2016.

Regarding the traditional markets of Tunisia, even though European tourists account for only 17% of total arrivals, their number increased by 31.1%.

The French ranked first with 153,050 tourists, up 45.1%, followed by Germans (37,909 tourists) and Italians (28,807). The British also returned to Tunisia, with 8,943 arrivals reported.

Thanks to Tunisia’s efforts to diversify the tourist markets, the country was able to welcome 44,754 Russian tourists until May 20, 2017, up 2.6% compared to 2016.

In addition, the number of Tunisians residing abroad reached 379,714 visitors, posting a growth of 9.4% compared to the previous year, bringing the total number of non-resident arrivals to more than 1.9 million.

According to a report by the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT), tourism revenues at the end of April 2017 posted a slight increase of 5.2%, compared to a 46.4% increase in non-resident inflows.

Tourism revenues amounting to 491 million dinars (MD) thus remain far below the achievements of 2015, which reached 783 MD.

Similarly, the number of overnight stays grew by 31% compared to the previous year, i.e. 714,000 overnight stays, from January 1 to April 20, 2017.

Source: African Manager

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Notes to editors:

Tunisia is less than 3 hours flying from the UK with daily flights from London Heathrow and Gatwick airports to Tunis. It is a year-round destination blessed with 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, beautiful landscapes and beaches, world-class golf, great food and the Sahara Desert.

For further information about Tunisia, visit www.discovertunisia.com or contact:

Eve Gardiner, First Public Relations or Sebastian Sarrasin, First Public Relations

t. 0208 877 4523, e. pr@firstpr.co.uk

Located in the village of Hara Sghira in Djerba, an island off the coast of southern Tunisia, the Ghriba synagogue is believed to be the oldest Jewish temple in Africa.

Displaying intricate tile walls bearing blue and yellow geometric shapes El Ghriba is the most famous and venerated of the twenty synagogues and prayer houses dotting the three Jewish villages on Djerba. Its surrounding streets include a kosher butcher, a bakery that sells a traditional tuna-filled pastry known as “brik” and schools that teach lessons in Hebrew, French and Arabic.

According to local tradition, the first Jews settled on Djerba in the wake of Solomon Temple’s destruction in Jerusalem 586 BCE. In the millennia that followed the original settlement, waves of Jewish immigrants from around the Mediterranean flocked to it as a haven from persecution. Upon arrival, they were greeted by a Jewish community that existed in surprising harmony with its local Muslim neighbours. Whilst most of this community has since then moved to Israel, Djerba is still home to some 1,500 Jews.

From 11th to 17th in May 2017, the local community and Jewish visitors from around the world will gather to celebrate the Lag B’Omer holiday during a week of rituals.

The pilgrimage includes a visit to the synagogue, alms giving, prayers and a procession where participants carry the menorah, a large pyramidal lamp mounted on three wheels. The chandelier is decorated with symbols representing the twelve tribes of Israel, the names of the three Patriarchs and four Matriarchs as well as the names of venerated rabbis of Tunisia. The structure is then topped by a Star of David.

Following another local custom, women hand write the name of unmarried girls on eggs placed in the Ghriba synagogues for the duration of the festival. The eggs are then returned to the unmarried girls who, after eating them, are supposed to find a groom

Tunisia is less than 3 hours flying from the UK with daily flights from London Heathrow and Gatwick airports to Tunis.  It is a year-round destination blessed with 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, beautiful landscapes and beaches, world-class golf, great food and the Sahara Desert.

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For further information please contact:

Eve Gardiner, First Public Relations or Sebastian Sarrasin, First Public Relations

t. 0208 877 4523, e. pr@firstpr.co.uk

www.discovertunisia.uk

The 12th annual Carthage Jazz Festival is taking place in the historic city of Carthage from March 31 through to April 9 and tickets are available for sale online.

British musicians, Liam Bailey and Miles Sanko will perform on the first day of the festival. The following day, British artist Tod Odell, who was nominated for the ‘Sound of the Year’ by the BBC will also be performing.  Other artists include Pink Martini, Cocoon and Aaron with performers from Europe, USA, Middle East and North Africa also in the line-up for the 10 day festival.

Carthage is now part of greater metropolitan area of Tunis, located across the Tunis Lake from central Tunis.  Carthage was rebuilt by the Roman by there are still some remains of earlier building from the Phoenician and Punic periods.  Visitors can see the largest Roman baths outsite Rome at the archaeological site of the Antonine Baths, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tunisia is less than 3 hours flying from the UK with daily flights from London Heathrow and Gatwick airports to Tunis.  It is a year-round destination blessed with 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, beautiful landscapes, unspoiled beaches, world-class golf, great food and the Sahara Desert.

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For further information please contact:

Eve Gardiner, First Public Relations or Sebastian Sarrasin, First Public Relations

t. 0208 877 4523, e. pr@firstpr.co.uk

www.discovertunisia.uk

March 2017

Tunisia is justifiably proud of its wellness traditions dating back thousands of years, using the curative powers of the sea with 60 Thalassotherapy hubs, along its 800 miles of coastlines. 

Tunisia is the second only to France for the number of thalassotherapy treatment centres as well as offering spa therapies dedicated to using seaweed, marine minerals, sand, mud, sea water, sea salts and nutrient-rich algae.  Their widespread locations means that visitors can easily combine health treatments with city breaks, beach holidays and adventure getaways to Tunisia.

Hammamet, Gammarth, Jerba and Zarzis are Tunisia’s main pampering locations, combining both traditional Arabic and French influenced treatments using heated seawater and the 100 hot-spring sources drawn for therapeutic bathing since Roman and Punic times.  Thalassotherapy fuses sumptuous touch therapies with mineral-rich baths, aqua-jets to help restore a weary body to a relaxed state of calm and serenity.  All are regulated by the government which guarantees a standard of quality which is maintained.

Tunisia is less than 3 hours flying from the UK with daily flights from London Heathrow and Gatwick airports to Tunis.  It is a year-round destination blessed with eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, beautiful landscapes, unspoiled beaches, world-class golf, great food and the Sahara Desert.

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Editor’s notes:

Thalassotherapy is the use of seawater and marine extracts.  Seawater cleaned and heated to 33 degree – temperature at which the body absorbs the mineral salts contained in the water.  Typical treatments include bubble baths, underwater massage, seawater wraps, jet showers and aqua-aerobics.  Thermal spas use natural spring or mineral water from nearby sources to treat and relieve a wide range of complaints ranging from bad backs, joint and muscle pains, stress and skin conditions to breathing difficulties.

For further information please contact:

Eve Gardiner, First Public Relations or Sebastian Sarrasin, First Public Relations

t. 0208 877 4523, e. pr@firstpr.co.uk

www.discovertunisia.uk