Spending by foreign visitors is predicted to increase by over 12 pc to nearly TND 11 billion, says WTTC
Driven by a nearly pre-pandemic level of international spend, the tourism sector in the North African country of Tunisia is projected to be 14 pc of the national GDP at a record TND 23 billion (USD 7.3 billion).
According to 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) by World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), tourism in Tunisia will propel not only revenue, but also job numbers, and domestic visitor spending, surpassing all previous records.
WTTC says that international visitor spending is not anticipated to fully recover this year, but it will come within touching distance of the 2019 peak.
According to the data, travel and tourism’s economic contribution will represent 14 pc of the overall economy this year, while sector jobs are projected to grow 3.9 pc year-on-year to reach almost 418,000, accounting for one in nine jobs.
The statement adds that domestic visitor spending is anticipated to grow 5 pc from last year to reach TND 11.7 billion, 0.7 pc ahead of 2019.
While the amount spent by foreign visitors is predicted to increase by over 12 pc to nearly TND 11 billion, this will still fall short of 2019 levels by almost 9 pc, says WTTC.
Julia Simpson
“Tunisia’s travel and tourism sector has almost fully recovered, with domestic and sector-wide contributions exceeding all previous records. While international visitor spending is still catching up, we are confident that Tunisia’s resilient sector will continue to thrive and play a vital role in the nation’s economic future,” says Julia Simpson, WTTC President and CEO.
WTTC says that the reestablishment of the Higher Council of Tourism by the Tunisian Government will further help tourism achieve these forecasts as it brings together the public and private sector, ensuring collaboration across interested parties.
According to the latest research, the sector’s contribution to Tunisia’s GDP surged almost 24 pc year-on-year to reach nearly TND 21 billion last year.
The statement adds that jobs supported by the tourism sector grew by almost 10 pc to reach more than 402,000, representing almost 11.5 pc of jobs in the country.
Domestic visitor spending increased more than 7 pc year-on-year to reach more than TND 11 billion. In contrast, international visitor spending saw a strong 48.8 pc year-on-year growth last year, to reach TND 9.6 billion, but this was still almost 19 pc behind the 2019 peak.
WTTC is forecasting that the sector could grow its annual GDP contribution to more than TND 32 billion by 2034, representing 16 pc of Tunisia’s economy. It could potentially employ over 485,000 people across the country.
Across North Africa, the tourism sector is forecast to contribute TND 225.7 billion to the regional economy this year, accounting for 8.5 pc of the total. Sector-supported jobs are expected to rise to 5.3 million, representing 1 in 11 jobs across the region.
