The Arab Institute for CEOs has called for the adoption of several orientations and measures to develop Tunisia's tourism sector and enhance its competitiveness. These proposals are part of a study titled "Tunisian Tourism: Competitiveness Obstacles and Development Levers." The study highlights the main structural challenges hindering the sector's growth and suggests ways to improve its performance and better utilize Tunisia's natural and cultural resources.
The study recommends improving air, land, and sea connections to tourist destinations, diversifying offerings, and creating added value. It also suggests developing professional skills, accelerating digital transformation, and enhancing the data system and sector governance. In terms of connections, the institute advises identifying deficiencies in links between source markets and tourist areas and adopting incentives to develop services.
To enhance connections, the institute suggests providing incentives for developing air services to promising markets and periods, with these incentives being evaluable and linked to results. It also emphasizes the need to include accessibility to destinations in investment planning. Furthermore, the institute recommends developing a strategy to identify tourist products by category and region, increasing tourist spending, and extending stay durations.
The institute proposes creating a periodic follow-up of professional needs and skills in the tourism sector, aligning training with actual business requirements, particularly in digitalization, marketing, management, and environmental sustainability. It also suggests developing short training programs and professional retraining. Additionally, the institute emphasizes the importance of accelerating digital transformation, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.
According to the World Economic Forum's 2026 Travel and Tourism Development Index, Tunisia ranks 82nd out of 110 economies, with a score of 3.62 out of 7. This ranking shows no improvement compared to 2024. The index evaluates factors and policies that enable sustainable and resilient tourism sector development. Tunisia's strengths include price competitiveness, safety and security, health and hygiene.
The study identifies areas for improvement, such as air transport infrastructure, land transport infrastructure, and ports, as well as limited non-leisure resources. The Arab Institute for CEOs stresses that these indicators do not directly measure tourist arrivals or revenues but assess conditions and policies that facilitate tourism development. The institute's proposals aim to address these challenges and enhance Tunisia's tourism competitiveness.
The Tunisian tourism sector faces significant challenges, and the Arab Institute for CEOs' proposals offer potential solutions. By implementing these recommendations, Tunisia can improve its tourism sector's performance, increase its competitiveness, and capitalize on its natural and cultural resources. The government and stakeholders must work together to address these challenges and develop a sustainable tourism sector.
Key points
- The Arab Institute for CEOs proposes five areas to develop Tunisia's tourism sector and enhance its competitiveness.
- Tunisia ranks 82nd out of 110 economies in the 2026 Travel and Tourism Development Index.
- The institute's proposals focus on improving connections, diversifying offerings, developing professional skills, accelerating digital transformation, and enhancing data systems.
