[IMG=18698-4281]
At the reception held on the 21st of December in the Tunisian Embassy in Moscow representatives of the tourist business and mass media could personally meet the new director of the Tunisian tourist office Makhmud Dardumi (BANKO wrote about his appointment on the 08.12). Mr. Dardumi described the priorities of his politics this way: ‘I plan to develop winter Tunisia, because in the summer the destination is popular anyway’.
Such a strategy has its reasons. In 2005 the North-African country was visited by 100 thousand Russians, as many as in 2004. One of the main reasons for the absence of positive dynamics of the tourist flow is irregular demand. The Russians plan their trips in July-August while local hotels are not interested in them, preferring to offer hotels to the French, Germans, and the British. It is logical in such situation to build up the volumes by selling tours in low season.
Nevertheless, serious steps have not been taken in this destination. ‘Our requests about consolidated advertisement in winter period were left without response’- says the head of the Tunisian department of ICS Travel Group, Natalia Margolina. – ‘At the moment the Ministry of tourism provides support only according to results of the summer period: The office provides $5-10 thousand to some tour operators. Yet compared to expenses we have at low dates, it is just a drop in the sea’. Alexander Tugolukov, general director of ‘Biblio-Globus’ company adds: ‘Tunisia can be compared to Cyprus – tourist flow to both countries in winter falls. Yet, at the time the tourist office of Cyprus was helping tour operators providing $350–400 thousand. Now there are 9 flights a week while there is only one to Tunisia.’
Tour office players are also skeptical because of the advertising budget for promoting Tunisia on the Russian market in 2006 was reduced from 700 to 400 thousand Euro.
