Abstract

Following the Jasmin revolution in Tunisia in January 2011, the country had difficulty keeping its touristic clients according to different causes. Adding that the history of the Tunisian Tourism shows that “mass tourism” is one of the main characteristic of the touristic product. Today, this kind of tourism is no longer competitive comparing to the new aspect of globalization. In addition, with a revenue, less than 50% during these years, the professionals of the sector have found themselves in a position of weakness in front of foreign tour operators, always forced to lower the prices so as not to lose their tourists. The Tunisian government finds difficulties in order to divert the seaside offer, based on the three formulas (sand, sea, sun), towards a seductive alternative product. Given the decline in the coastal supply, tour operators apply their powers to dismiss the Tunisian market by focusing on arguments related to the low level of the promoted product, and political changes. Given these barriers, hotels faced harsh financial difficulties, high debt levels, inadequate funding and the downgrading of hotels due to deteriorating quality. This paper studies the various causes of tourism degradation in Tunisia and the challenges of the tourism sector due to the political change such as the security outlook, which become uncertain and is facing significant challenges particularly with terrorism and civil unrest.

1. Introduction

Following the decline of the former President of the country, which occurred at the end of 2010, caused by the Tunisian Revolution, the Tunisian tourism suffered from an excessive decline for weeks. The Tunisian revolution, called the Jasmin Revolution, is a non-violent revolution done through series of protests and strikes during four weeks between December 2010 and January 2011, resulted in the departure of President of the Republic of Tunisia, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who has been in post since 1987.

Started from the town of Sidi Bouzid, these protests are carried out in protest against the high unemployment proportion of youth, especially young graduates, corruption, and police repression. They began on December 17, 2010, after the burning of a young fruit and vegetables vendor in Sidi Bouzid, Mohamed Bouazizi, whose goods had been confiscated by the authorities.

The protest spread throughout the country despite repression and amplified by a general strike, caused Ben Ali to flee to Saudi Arabia on January 14, 2011. About 338 people were killed and 2174 were injured during these actions.

After this radical transformation, the country has experienced multiple changes of government following popular dissatisfaction, the power of the opposition and socio-economic complications. All these factors have led the sector towards an imbalanced situation.

Through this section, we will study the various causes of the decline of Tunisian tourism after the revolution of January 14, 2011, their challenges in order to resume the stability of the sector.

2. Tunisian Tourism through Different Politics

Tunisian politics of the 1960s worked on changing legislation, inherited institutions and evolving mentalities in order to respond to the modernity of the country's development. During the decade 1961-1970, the Tunisian state experienced a blockage in the balance of trade. An annual deficit equivalent to 50 million dinars has led the state sought alternative alternatives. During this period, agriculture, which still had a traditional structure, remains a sector that lacks productivity. Also the case of construction materials industries and electrical engineering industries that are experiencing difficulty in profit level. Only the food industry, which serves for local consumption, is the sole source of productivity.

In 1960, tourism has become a priority of the Tunisian government. This orientation was chosen as an alternative to the problems of underdevelopment, with the aim of saving economic development. Especially with the existence of grants and credits offered by international organizations such as the World Bank and the united nations, which encourage all tourist activities. During this period, the developing countries find in tourism the hope to enhance their heritage and improve their economy. Consequently, the establishment of this sector will help to fill the gap in the industry by generating a new source of currency that is essential to balance the payments through to foreign visitors.

With the arrival of the Hedi Nouira as a prime minister in 1970 and the departure of Ben Salah from the head of the government after its fall, tourism has become a pillar of Tunisian economy. As a result, the capital diverted from the communist economy towards a liberal system, have clearly turned towards the tourist sector. During this period, the Tunisian product aimed a new character, which can be more accessible to a new category of foreign tourists futile and popular. Since this orientation plays on seaside and mass tourism, the quantity concludes a real loss in terms of quality.

During this period, the tourism sector in Tunisia experienced remarkable growth because of the different packages programmed by the tour operators. In 1976, only 30% of the French chose different methods of visiting the country; the rest came through organized trips. Similarly, 93% of the English, German and Scandinavian countries preferred the tour operators.

The marketing of the Tunisian product was circulated through the images and slogans appearing in the brochures and the catalogs, exposing the "desire for the voyage" targeted by this country. The main shared figures correspond to the sea, the sun, the desert, and the palm trees.

In 1987 and after the appearance of Ben Ali as President of the State following the change of the Tunisian presidency, new orientations were adopted by the new regime. These new forms were adopted at the end of the 1980s but really nothing was achieved until the early 1990s. During this period, Tunisian tourism experienced a development compared with the latest development plans. The goal is to create more luck through the new development plans that consisted of restructuring resources so that the sector is competitive in the global market.

During this phase, Tunisian tourism has endured competition with the rest of the Mediterranean countries, focusing mainly on the coastal tourism product. Although the decisions that precede this period still depend on the European market, its needs and its marketing, the new regime to seek to enrich the sector by new activities such as the Gulf or products such as thalassotherapy of which they are not Affordable in Europe because of price or environment. Other ways of attractions have been generated as well as targeted trips to congresses also integrating the Saharan and cultural product. The new orientations of the ninth development plan reflect the motivation of the country to seduce a new range of customers,

3. Revenue Degradation

During January 2011, the tourist sector recorded a 40% reduction compared to the same month of the previous year. By adding civil war in Libya following the invasion of the Arab revolution, Tunisian tourism was directly affected by the political complications experienced by the neighbor especially with the lack of 2 million Libyan customers. Apart from the cancellation of reservations planned during the year, 9,000 French tourists have not finished their holidays and decided to return immediately to their country. Since Tunisia was no longer a preferable destination in front of international tourists, tourism minister Mehdi Houas launched an advertising campaign during the month of February taking advantage of radical political change to reassure that the country remains a tourist destination stable. It is noted that the rest of the Mediterranean countries such as Spain, Turkey, Greece and especially Morocco have benefited from the Tunisian crisis to multiply their efforts and reassure their tourism products.

Up until the end of the year, the tourism sector continued to decline inflows of non-residents. In March, which typically attracts 13% of annual admissions before the start of the summer season, the number of tourist arrivals is 525,704; While the same month in 2010 the number touched 920,000 tourists. In April 2011, the sector fell by 42.9% since the beginning of the year compared with April 2010. In June 2011, since the revolution, the decline has reached 53% of the total entrance of the European clients, 41% of non- residents Maghreb clients, 51% of the income revenue and 55% of overnight stays. In all, 2011 saw 4.8 million visitors against 6.9 million in 2010, a decrease of 30.7% with an income equal to 1.78 billion euros.

In 2012, efforts are multiplying in order to recover the number of tourists missing. During the first quarter of 2012, the sector recovered part of the marked decline in 2011. An increase of 51.8% is noted against the loss of 41.8% in 2011. This growth allowed the country to recover the noticeable fall during the first year of the revolution. However, during this crisis we see the presence of a new market that is evolving more and more. The Russian market recorded an increase of 35% compared with 2010 and 55% compared to 2011. ( ⁹, p10).

The year 2013 is struggling to improve. The number of visits decreased compared to 2012. It examined that 2.9 million European visitors visited against 3 million in 2012. A great drop of 53% for the French since the revolution. Unlike French tourists, British customers showed a 12% increase at the end of these three years, but the big surprise is spotted by the Russian market with an increase of 69% compared to 2010. In 2014, the revenues have seen a slight increase of 6.4% compared to 2013 but still far from the 2010 figures with a 14% drop.

When Amel Karboul arrived on the head of the Ministry of Tourism, the government was optimistic about the year of 2015. Measures were taken on the security aspect to ensure the tourist season and to face the decline Claimed. With the assistance of the Ministry of the Interior, training sessions were given to security officers in hotels to prepare for the rumors and intimidations received from terrorist groups operating in the region. Again, in order to reassure the safety of the hotels, requests were communicated to the hoteliers to acquire new security materials especially. Queries that have been abandoned by some institutions. Despite major disadvantages following the cancellation of a few clients, seen the discounts of some countries like Germany and Poland, the new minister has put 7 million non-resident visitors to target. The promises heard by the new government have been followed by concerns from professionals especially with the indebtedness that accumulate through the years.

After the terrorist attacks, which the country experienced, the year 2015 was dramatic. According to Kerourio ⁹ "The attacks have compromised this recovery. It was the terrorist attack on the Bardo Museum, which killed 21 tourists and a Tunisian police officer on 18 March 2015. The terrorist attack on a tourist hotel in the city of Sousse in June 2015 Another severe blow to the tourism sector in Tunisia ". With 4 months of difference between the attack of Bardo and the attack of Sousse, these two acts weakened the Tunisian economy. During this year 270 out of 570 hotels, 48% of Tunisian hotels, are closed temporarily because of deficits. In 2016, the tourism recovered slightly the lack of the previous year with 5.4 million customers in hotels of which 2 million are local tourists.

It appears that since the revolution, each time the tourist sector sees the light and takes the breath it retreats following tragic acts linked by the security of the country; however, it should not be denied that the tourist area remains fragile given the lack of restructuring.

4. Tourism Sector Issues and Challenges due to Political Changes

It seems clear that the backlash is not the only reason that tourism suffers from its decline but the crisis corresponds to a classic structuring that does not appeal to the modern demand of tourism demand. The old regime (Ben Ali regime), a dominant seaside product, lack of security, modest service, are factors that affected this sector.

The majority of experts admit that the tourism crisis in Tunisia is linked to how the government (the people in power) leaded the sector. Unlike the liberalization of the sector since its birth in Tunisia, it has undergone a discrete control of the power of Ben Ali and his relatives. The state has become a personal influence that allows the president, his family and his relatives committing illegal practices by using some corrupted ways. Their methods were different. Relatives and privileged authorities had the bulk of development projects. This practice has affected the private sector. Hoteliers have experienced different types of harassment and blatant injustices on the development of hotels as well as land in order to approach the regime and support their demands. Their records within the commission of the National Tourism Office still awaiting decision and the ranking of hotels is inconsistent. Even at the level of amenities, which allow distribution, selling alcohol and opening night clubs, always depends on socio-political relations with the authorities.

As a result, the presence of corruption has weakened the operators. Experts, professionals, civil society. The civil society have chosen silence; or rather, it was the only way to act. At the same time, the men of power had the open ground to colonize the tourist development and profit from their interests.

Since the beginning of the new century, hotel buildings have experienced a stagnation in foreign customers due to the deterioration of the service offered. As a result, tourism entrepreneurs lack cash to pay their overdue payments and restore their structures to introduce a new modern product. In consequence, investors were forced to seek further loans to pay the old debts and invest in their products. As a result, accumulation of debts was marked without being able to find solutions with an offer that marks a decrease in overnight stays. These factors show that about 20% of hotel infrastructure is likely to disappear on the market. Yet, even with this conjuncture, the state forces hoteliers to preserve their employees knowing that access to bank financing has become more difficult for the majority.

According to the experts, it is essential to restructure the financing methods. "Due to the over-indebtedness of the hotel stock mentioned above, investments have become impossible and the situation must be remedied by renegotiating the debt with the banks and the State, by transforming or reselling structures that are not more profitable or by merging and consolidating in order to associate and grow financially." ⁵

Since the birth of Tunisian tourism, the sector has benefited from the attractive image of its seaside product. The reinforcement of infrastructures and equipment on the coastal zone has supported the improvement of the latter. Tunis-Carthage, Enfidha, Skanes-Monastir, Sfax and Djerba-Melita, three of which are destined for charter flights, have four airports on the coast of Tunisia.

These decisions have served the first tourist development plans since the country's independence, when Tunisia represented one of the best-selling destinations in the Mediterranean basin. The evolution of mass tourism during this period is due to the standardization of the tourist product so that it is within the reach of a middle class allowing the possibility of moving through a simple approach ¹⁴.

The very high flow of tourist customers during the summer season, with 90% of the nights spent by non-residents in Tunisia, made the coastline the dominant product. This seaside product, by dint of hosting the majority of tourists, has engendered the spirit of mass. By focusing on the quantity and number of visitors, tourism no longer seeks the importance of quality and service offered with low priced offers. It is even found that the type of coastal accommodation has become unique.

In order to regain new markets, Tunisia is forced to restructure its product. This obliges to decentralize tourist investments, offers a niche product (eco-tourism) and display the richness of the archaeological and cultural sites inside the country. These aspects are going to be specific in the next paragraphs.

During this crisis, a number of former hotel developers found the solution in the international signs to give a new spirit to their building. Luxury chains that maintain leading brands as well as a remarkable experience in top-class tourism such as the chain, Movenpick, the Ritz Carlton, Marriott, Sheraton, Concorde, The Residence and others, have just established themselves in Tunisia .

In fact, it is not about new investments; it is simply a management with two partners. In the first stage, the developer carries out the construction, renovation, or restoration as well as the purchase of equipment, supplies and accessories by applying the specifications of the luxury chain. During this stage, the famous sign assists the follow-up of site and ensures the application of its specifications. In the second stage, the promoter secures the award; this is where the sign intervenes. The luxury chain ensures the training of employees and workers, the promotion of their products and the management of the hotel. Finally, the revenues are divided between the two partners, after deduction of expenses, according to a compromise signed in advance. It should be noted that the division of the shares differs according to the agreements or the degree of importance of the brand of the sign.

It is clear that luxury tourism improves the offer and image within the international scale. These big brands arrive in Tunisia with their clients. Customers who opt for luxury. The presence of these brands creates competition on the international market and guarantees a freshness in the tourism sector.

After the departure of the former President Ben Ali in January 2011, following what many have come to know as the beginning of the Arab Spring, or the jasmine revolution in Tunisia, the country has undergone a change of system. Following the revolution, the country designed a step towards democracy, also freedom of expression. Yet this is a favor for citizens to practice their thoughts freely, extreme-Islamists have appeared to convince people of their unique ideology by using force. AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) and other militant groups such as Ansar al - Sharia, who have been designated as two terrorist groups by the Tunisian government, are known by terrorist acts in Sousse and Bardo using European tourists as targets. This type of extremists finds that Tunisia, taking advantage of the instability of neighboring countries like Libya, is a potential target for practicing their acts seen the large number of Western tourists and European travelers who visit the country. In return, Tunisian security forces are likely to arrest the majority of Tunisian nationals returning from Iraq, Syria and neighboring countries, and to dismantle the cells through any extremist act or activity.

The security situation in Tunisia is considerably calmed in early 2016 and to this day. While security has been restored in many parts of large cities, political protests that sometimes become violent continue to occur. Some protestors, who act using violence, are quickly dispersed by police forces.

Apart from the socio-economic problems, Tunisia is facing other security problems such as terrorist attacks, whereas they were not a major concern in the past by being a very effective police system. Two attacks hit two tourist destinations. The first took place on March 18, 2015, in the museum of Bardo of which 22 deaths seized their deaths of which 21 are foreign tourists. Previously, there was a 25.7% decline in the number of foreign customers in April following the Bardo bombing and 26.3% in tourist revenues. The authorities have tried to recover the damage they have been carrying out awareness-raising campaigns to bring back foreign tourists. After a recovery from the numbers of visitors, a second terrorist act struck the city of Sousse in June 26, 2015. An act that put an end to 38 deaths of different nationalities, including a British majority. Thousands of foreign tourists fled the country the day after the scene. Following this last blow at the Imperial Hotel Marhaba, on the sand of a city that is enriched by a vital sector, the experts announced the fell of the tourist season especially since it was at the beginning of summer time. Unfortunately, the second attempt to reconfirm the absence of visitors, which complicated the situation of the sector. The fear of tourists is understandable according to Anis Meghirbi, commercial director of the Tunisian hotel group Seabel, "In the name of human rights, there was too much laxity. How can a terrorist fire for 35 minutes before being arrested? The issue is no longer a matter for the professionals but for the Ministries of the Interior and Defense. It takes large-scale measures, perhaps shocking - why not the military on tourist sites? To reassure tourists, foreign governments but also Tunisians." ⁹

Unfortunately, all the safety measures taken came late; In addition, these last movements, such as the fall in prices and the revival of the traditional campaigns, have not yielded a satisfactory result. Many tour operators canceled their reservations. A decline that admitted a record at the level of the decline of French tourists. René-Marc Chikli, president of the French union of French tour operators (Seto), said: "The only thing that can save Tunisia is a plan to secure tourist sites that will last for years and will require serious means ". ( ⁹, P120).

Domestic tourism is one of the pillars of each country's tourism product. It is a potential for diversification that strengthens the portfolio of tourism operators and allows a considerable support to achieve a balance between local and foreign tourists. In addition, internal tourism is an attractive source of contribution that strengthens regional development by drawing on the various activities linked to the tourism sector in an indirect way such as transport, restaurants, and commerce. Also, it allows to fill and gain the lack of international tourists during the low season or crisis.

Contrary to offers targeting international tourists, the Tunisian government does not focus as much on the local market. Based on the fact that the state needs exchange of currency, the local customer sometimes risks paying much more than a foreign customer, not counting of course the price of the charter ticket that comes, generally, in the package of offers referred to internationally. Based on the results of my inquiries concerning the domestic tourism market. 22% of men and 14% of women are engaged in internal tourism. Also 18% of the population chose to stay at classified and unclassified hotels. It is also found that young people dominate the internal market of tourism, of which 29% are between 18 and 25 years old while 25% are between 25 and 35 years. Still at the level of the family status, we see that 31% of singles against, only 15% of brides prefer internal tourism. It is noted, according to the Tunisian National Tourist Office (ONTT), that the domestic tourism sector occupies the 5^th place with an 8% rate of overnight stays. Results show that the local sector is still in decline given the lack of credibility in the products offered, and this is due to a warm welcome, poor quality of service, high prices.

5. Conclusion

It seems that the country finds difficulties in order to divert the seaside offer, based on the three formulas (sand, sea, sun), towards a seductive alternative product. Given the decline in the coastal supply, tour operators apply their powers to dismiss the Tunisian market by focusing on the low level of the offered product. Nevertheless, it seems that the only outlet in order to give a new impetus to this sector is to turn towards luxury product (restoration of hotel infrastructures, the renovation of hotels established for decades, continuous training of personnel). Following this successful model in Morocco, Tunisia seeks to support the historical sites, the Saharan potential, and the health product in order to be competitive with the international competition and the servitude of tour operators. Unfortunately, the Tunisian country has chosen the shortest method to "enrich" the model. Advertising campaigns abroad is one of the short-term solutions that has been taken by the government. Still, the development of the urban tourist project requires a long-term reflection to avoid the current crisis that leads to the closure of several hotels.

References