Tunisia Is Back On The Cards…

This week saw the return of Tui flying back into Tunisia after the ban was lifted back in July. They have followed in the footsteps of Thomas Cook and are flying from Birmingham, Manchester, Gatwick and Bristol into Hammamet. Tunisian authorities have insisted that the country is safe to travel to for holidaymakers and are now desperate for people to return. They once attracted numbers as high as 440,000 at peak times but are now aiming for a more modest 80,000 UK visitors this year. Tui has not offered a Tunisia programme since a terrorist gunman opened fire on tourists at the Imperial Marhaba Hotel in the resort of Sousse in 2015, killing 30 British holidaymakers, all of whom were Tui customers. The British Foreign Office (FCO) subsequently advised against all travel to Tunisia, halting UK tour operator programmes. According to a new Travelzoo survey, safety and security on holiday were topmost in the minds of 97% of consumers. I think it is fantastic for the Tunisian people and businesses that rely so heavily on the tourists coming back and if it means that they can make a living and support their families then its great. If you asked me does this mean I will be booking my 2018 holiday to Tunisia then I would honestly have to say NO !!. I have been to Tunisia when I was a lot younger and as lovely as it is I feel like the security risk there is still not at a level that would sit comfortably with me. It’s a sad situation that we have to feel this way about going on a family holiday, but it is down to personal choice and what peoples own preferences are. I know that the Tunisian authorities have confirmed that the security forces there are now ready to face any threat and has severely improved protective security in major cities and resorts. This will give travellers a lot more confidence but only time and slow regrowth will really show if Tunisia will ever go back to a popular beach holiday for people. Tunisia was once also a favourite with some of the cruise lines and Msc used to offer weekly itineraries visiting ports in the country. Will they follow suit and start reappearing there, who knows  ?? If all goes well then maybe so, watch this space for any future news on this.