The strategy for the sustainability of the tourism sector by 2035 is based on an approach of sustainable and balanced growth of tourism resources for global and diversified tourism and the rationalisation of the productivity of the tourism sector for responsible tourism, said the Director General of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts, Mouna Mathlouthi Ghliss. This strategy, which will be launched shortly, aims to establish modern tourism that favours investment in local resources, technological development and institutional change, she added at the 2nd sustainable tourism summit being held from June 5 to 6 on the theme of "developing sustainable tourism that is resilient to climate change in the Mediterranean". She added that, on the basis of statistical analyses and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ratified by Tunisia, the country is moving towards diversifying its tourism products, with the rehabilitation of seaside tourism, which remains the backbone of Tunisian tourism, through the introduction of practical guides to avoid wastage of food and water resources and to rationalise electricity consumption. In this respect, Mathlouthi spoke of adventure tourism, pointing out that studies have shown that tourists with a high spending capacity prefer this tourism product, noting that 65% of the income from this activity remains in the region, compared with just 14% in the case of seaside tourism. Mountain tourism, which is home to 13% of the world's population, attracts between 15% and 20% of the world's total tourism, according to the World Tourism Organisation. Cultural tourism (culinary arts, festivals, archaeological and religious sites, handicrafts) is also one of the fastest-growing tourism products, accounting for 40% of total world tourism. The aim of this strategy is to strengthen the sector's position as a driving force for economic, social and environmental growth, by involving the private sector and civil society, as well as all state institutions, supporting young promoters and start-ups, enabling non-coastal towns to benefit from the sector's income and preserving destinations. Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, Moez Belhassine, pointed out that the tourism sector will be affected by policies to combat climate change, hence the need to implement policies for the sustainable management of water resources, to establish a partnership between all the economic sectors, to cooperate with a view to strengthening the energy and environmental transition, and to determine the measures that the State and tourist establishments can take to adapt to climate change. For her part, Imen Khemiri, coordinator of the Restart Med project, which helped to organise the summit, said that a reference note would be adopted at the end of the meeting, setting out recommendations and guidelines for good practice in sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean in the face of the impacts of climate change, pointing out that these guidelines would provide solutions for operators in the sector to help them make a success of their projects. Co-funded by the European Union's ENI CBC MED programme, this project aims to boost the tourism economy in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic by learning from past experience and practice. The Tunisia summit follows on from the summit held in Italy in September 2022, which focused on the political outlook. The 3rd summit will be held in Lebanon in September 2023 and will focus on trade prospects. It will focus on the environmental aspects of sustainable tourism and their links with national and regional strategies, as well as entrepreneurship.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse