Tunisia has an area of 63.378 square miles (162,155 km2) and has about 800 miles (1300 km) of coastline on the Mediterranean stretching along the north and east of the country. There are three large regions in the country: the grain growing plains in the northwest; the Sahel, olive tree area, on the east coast; and the Sahara region in the south. Temperatures in Tunisia’s Mediterranean climate range from 11.4 to 29.3 degrees Celsius (52.5 to 84.7 degrees Fahrenheit) with cold, rainy winters in the north and semi-arid conditions in the interior and the south. Summer days in the north, in particular along the long stretches of beautiful, white sparkling beaches, are delightfully warm and sunny.

Tunisia has breathtaking scenery and renowned historical treasures. Among its natural resources are deposits of phosphates, oil, and extensive areas of fertile land. Protection of the ecosystem is one of the country’s current priorities. National parks and natural reserves have been created throughout Tunisia, with the purpose of protecting native fauna and flora as well as introducing new species. There are also national programs for coastal protection, promoting green spaces in urban areas and combating desertification.

Tunisia Strategic Location

This geographic position that made Tunisia a crossroads of civilizations throughout history makes it today a platform for investment as well as for production and trade.

Due to its limited natural resources, Tunisia has focused on strengthening its human potential. The bulk of the national budget has been allocated to education, health-care, housing and social services. The private sector is encouraged to play a leading role in economic growth and, as a result, Tunisians have created a modern, diversified market-oriented economy based on an efficient agricultural sector, a growing manufacturing sector, and athriving tourism industry.

Tunisia’s GNP and social indicators have risen steadily since independence, averaging more than 3% annually in recent years and has also been reducing its debt levels. During the last years, international financial institutions have frequently cited Tunisia as “a model for success” highlighting its middle class underpinnings, generally well-functioning institutions, low poverty rates, and relatively well-educated population, especially when compared with other countries in the region.

The main Tunisian exports are crude oil, minerals, manufactured goods, and agricultural products, including its internationally renowned olive oil. Its primary trading partners are France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Maghreb countries.

The population of Tunisia in 2010 is approximately 10.549.000 and estimated to be 10.6738 in 2011; Arab, Berber, African, and European influences have helped shape the unique Tunisian cultural identity. The overwhelming majority of the population is Muslim and the official region is Sunni Islam. Small Christian and Jewish communities practice their faith freely and contribute to Tunisia’s rich cultural diversity. The official language is Arabic while French is widely used as a second language and English is spoken among a growing number of Tunisians.

Tunisia’s population is over 65 percent urban. Tunis, the capital, with a population of more than 2.3 million, is one of the principal cosmopolitan urban centers of the Mediterranean. Other cities in Tunisia include Carthage, Jerba, Hammamet, Bizerte, Sousse, Sfax and Kairouan.

The Tourism industry is estimated to support 510,000 jobs by 2021, which is 13.1% of the total jobs in Tunisia (World Travel & Tourism Council [WTTC], 2011). The tourism industry has occupied the first position for the export of services and products. In addition, the foreign receipts generated by tourism also amounted to 44% of the trade deficit (Poirier & Wright, 1993). The contribution of travel and tourism to total GDP was almost 9% in 2009 and is expected to be 14% in 2021.

The destination is also expected to welcome 9,700,000 international tourists in 2021. The tourism industry contributes indirectly to the gross domestic product of the country since it provides a great deal of employment for the construction of hotels, tourism marketing, aviation, sanitation services, fuels, purchases of food, and cleaning products (WTTC, 2011).

The tourism industry in Tunisia has been historically dominated by European tour operators (“Travel and Tourism in Tunisia,” 2009). Considered as a mass sector, tourism in Tunisia has been marketed as an all inclusive package including airfare and hotel.

In the 1990’s, 80% of the tourists came via a tour operator (Poirier & Wright, 1993). The dominant tour operators have been Tui, Thomson, and Nekerman. All of these key players have their own subsidiaries in the major European countries.

The consolidation between wholesalers made them increasingly dominant as hotels in Tunisia were not able to coordinate their prices to gain influence (“Travel and Tourism in Tunisia,” 2009). Consequently, an unbalanced relationship has been established between tour operators and hoteliers. This has forced hoteliers to sell their properties at a low rate. In an effort to boost the tourism industry, Tunisia has started to negotiate with some European countries an opening sky agreement between both of them (“Tunisia Open Sky,” 2009).

This sector is popular mainly on the east coast, totaling more than 95% of beds. The following is a list of the largest resorts and the percentge of nights out of the total:

• Monastir–Mahdia (36%)
• Hammamet (24%)
• Zarzis (24%)
• Zaghouan (10%)
• Aïn Draham (2%)