RECURRINGdiplomatic crises involving Iraq undermined tourism to Tunisia last year, according to the Tunisian National Tourist Office.
There were scares about a possible Gulf War in February and November, culminating in actual air strikes against Iraq by the US and UK in December.
The TNTO’s UK director Houssem Ben Azouz said although UK visitors had risen by 6.5% to nearly 264,000, the numbers could have been even higher.
“Last year was a difficult year for Tunisia because the Iraqi crises did hit tourism to the southern Mediterranean,” he said. “It did affect bookings to Tunisia, and we hope the situation will be better this year.”
The TNTO is targeting a 5%-10% rise in visitors in 1999. However, bookings to Tunisia for summer 1999 are currently 19% lower than at this point last year.
Ben Azouz put this down to the aftermath of the air strikes against Iraq, the trend towards late bookings to Tunisia, and fears of a recession in the UK.
The TNTO is spending ú1.5m on advertising and promotions this year. The campaign will include advertisements in the national press and posters at outdoor sites in England. It will promote basic messages about Tunisia, positioning it as a Mediterranean, year-round beach destination that is only 2hrs 30mins by air from London,
Meanwhile, Ben Azouz is expecting a new Star Wars film, which was shot on location in Tunisia, to generate extra interest in the country this year. The film is scheduled for release in the UK this June.