🇹🇳TunisiaNorth Africa
Tunisia launches hotel inspections and explores diversification ahead of 2026 summer tourist season
via Business News3 min read
Tunisia is actively preparing for the 2026 summer tourist season, aiming to maintain momentum after a record year with nearly eleven million visitors. To ensure quality, a large-scale operation to survey hotels and inspect tourist activities began in April. Amel Zarrouk, director of product supervision at the Tunisian National Tourist Office, announced this initiative on April 23, 2026, during a visit to the Siliana governorate. The goal is to assess the hotel sector, regulate tourist activities, and prevent issues that could harm the strategic season. While past performance was strong, the focus is now on service quality, facility compliance, capacity, and customer experience in a competitive regional market. The Tunisian tourism sector is largely driven by coastal tourism, which accounts for most arrivals and summer activity. However, this reliance on a seasonal, volume-based model, focused on competitive pricing, limits revenue per visitor. In contrast, cultural, heritage, ecological, and discovery tourism segments offer potential for higher spending, more qualitative stays, and less seasonal activity. On April 22, 2026, Minister of Tourism Sofiene Tekaia visited Siliana to monitor tourism and craft projects, support regional investment, and expedite various initiatives. Siliana, a mountainous region rich in archaeological heritage, natural sites, and crafts, represents a different facet of Tunisian tourism often highlighted in official discourse but less visible to mainst
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Business News.
The Foreign Investment Promotion Agency FIPA will host the 22nd Tunisia Investment Forum TIF on June 25-26, 2026, in Gammarth, under the theme "Tunisia, renewed dynamism, new opportunities." The forum, under the Ministry of Economy and Planning, aims to boost the country's attractiveness and foreign investment. A key highlight will be the official launch of a new digital investor platform designed to centralize administrative procedures and simplify processes for investors. The biennial event will showcase Tunisia's economic reforms and the priorities of its 2026-2030 national development plan, promoting its role in global value chains and as a gateway to African markets. Nearly a thousand participants are expected, with the African Development Bank as a partner. The opening ceremony will feature Samir Abdelhafidh, Samir Majoul, representatives from the African Continental Free Trade Area, and various African and Francophone economic figures, including Aliko Dangote and Jean-Lou Blachier. The first day will include the "Tunisia Investment Forum Awards 2026," recognizing foreign companies for their contributions to Tunisia's economic development, innovation, and job creation. The first plenary session, "Strengthening Tunisia's competitiveness: reforms and opportunities," will include Fethi Zouhair Nouri, UNCTAD representatives, and private sector leaders. The forum will also highlight major public projects, such as the future Aghlabides Medical City in Kairouan. A second plena
The National Institute of Consumption INC is advancing its work on Tunisia's national strategy to combat food waste, with two new working sessions scheduled for June 10 and 17, 2026. These sessions aim to define strategic axes, intervention mechanisms, and monitoring and evaluation methods for the roadmap. This follows a June 3 meeting that diagnosed the situation and identified strategic priorities, involving experts and civil society representatives. Mohamed Chokri Rajeb, Director General of the INC, highlighted that food waste is a significant issue, with millions of tons of edible food lost or discarded annually from agricultural production to household consumption. This leads to substantial economic losses and strains natural resources. The INC emphasizes the environmental impact, noting that producing unconsumed food wastes agricultural land, water, and energy, and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Rajeb stated that every liter of water used for food that ends up in the trash represents a lost resource, especially critical given Tunisia's severe water stress. Reducing food loss is seen as essential for preserving natural resources and strengthening the national food system's resilience. Beyond environmental concerns, the INC views combating food waste as a key economic lever, potentially improving resource utilization and boosting the competitiveness of the agricultural and agri-food sectors. The strategy's development builds on previous INC initiatives, includin
The Confederation of Citizen Enterprises of Tunisia Conect has called for a comprehensive reform of the foreign exchange framework, emphasizing its strategic importance for investment, exports, and the competitiveness of the Tunisian economy. During its hearing at the Assembly of People's Representatives, Conect presented 42 proposed amendments to the new Exchange Code bill. Conect President Aslan Berjeb stated that the debate extends beyond technical aspects to encompass the future of businesses and youth. The organization believes the current 1976 framework is outdated and advocates for a shift from a system based on prior authorization to one where freedom is the rule and restrictions are clearly defined exceptions. Berjeb views this as a potential transition from an economic model inherited from 1976 to a framework capable of supporting Tunisia's future. The proposed amendments focus on investment, digitalization of procedures, administrative deadlines, guarantee mechanisms, and simplification of processes, aiming for a more effective, readable, and adapted text for today's economy. While acknowledging the risk of capital flight, Conect argues that maintaining the status quo, regulatory inertia, lack of visibility, and the growth of informal circuits pose greater threats. The organization supports a progressive and controlled opening, with adapted control mechanisms and effective safeguards. Conect believes a modernized regulatory framework will enhance the country's attr