Pack a Covid-19 Certificate to Laze on This Med Nation’s Beaches
Pack a Covid-19 Certificate to Laze on This Med Nation’s Beaches
(Bloomberg) -- Tunisia promises it’ll be ready to keep vacationers safe from the coronavirus when it reopens in late June. But so far, no major tour companies have booked rooms for the summer season, according to Tourism Minister Mohamed Ali Toumi.
Some operators have expressed reservations over the requirement to carry a test certificate showing the visitor doesn’t have the virus, issued not more than 72 hours before arrival, the minister said Monday in an interview.
Tourism is a critical revenue generator for the North African nation, which attracted 9.5 million visitors in 2019 and is trying to kick-start an economy that’s stagnated amid years of political infighting and sporadic terrorist attacks.
After about eight days of no new virus cases, Tunisia has reported small daily increases since June 12. Still, the outbreak has been manageable, with 1,125 infections and 49 deaths.
Authorities began easing virus restrictions early this month, and resorts will be allowed to receive tourists with a capacity of 50% from June 27 under a plan to open borders and resume flights, Toumi said.
Med Reopens
“Hotels will have to apply social distancing rules, and will be providing individual meals instead of an open buffet,” he said. Even swimming pools will face restrictions, with bathers having to keep three meters (almost 10 feet) apart, he said.
Visitors to the country, which is famous for its beaches and bustling historic cities, will be authorized to visit museums, monuments and archaeological sites, and have the chance to take a new test for the coronavirus before leaving.
Tunisia’s attempting to join a cautious reopening around the Mediterranean. Greece began allowing in foreign visitors this week, with varying rules of entry depending on the place of origin; while Spain aims to open its borders with all members of Europe’s so-called Schengen-free travel region on June 21.
It has let two planes carrying German tourists land on Mallorca island to test readiness. Egypt says international flights will be permitted from July 1 and at least three provinces home to resorts, including the Red Sea coast, are reopening with precautions.
There’s no guarantee of success. Some 43% of Germans aren’t planning a summer vacation at all this year, according to a recent YouGov survey. And in the U.K., prospective vacationers are having to factor in a likely 14-day quarantine period on their return.
Tunisian officials are focusing on traditional markets including Germany, Russia, France and the U.K., as well as neighbors such as Algeria, attempting to explain measures introduced to prevent new outbreaks of the virus.
Tunisia was hoping to top 10 million this year, generating 7 billion dinars ($2.5 billion) for an economy that’s struggled to pick up speed since the Arab Spring uprisings. But it now expects revenue of at most 2.8 billion dinars in 2020, Toumi said.
He doesn’t expect the industry to really recover until next year, and even that might depend on the development of a successful vaccine for Covid-19. The government has provided 500 million dinars in soft loans and financing for the tourism sector to counter the impact of the virus and protect jobs.
“We need tourists and foreign currency to save the tourist season, but this will not be at the expense of the health and safety” of visitors, Toumi said. “Tunisia is safe.”
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.