Tunisia Aims for Upscale Tourism

Several, primarily private, entities are diligently working to highlight the country's cultural and architectural heritage, positioning local hospitality in the high-end segment. Mouna Allani Ben Halima, leading Hotel La Badira, the only 5-star establishment in Hammamet to have earned the Leading Hotel of the World label, is among them. According to her, the desire to transform Tunisia's tourism emerged from the ashes of the 2011 revolution: "At that time, I was deeply involved in the democratic transition, traveling across the country to encourage people to participate in the process and contribute to building a new Tunisia. I played my part by revolutionizing the hospitality industry. The opening of La Badira aimed to demonstrate that a hotel unit could align with international luxury standards using 100% Tunisian expertise. It was time to move beyond relying solely on charter tourism and all-inclusive packages with low added value."

The journey has not been easy in a country that invests minimally in youth education. "In the private sector, Tunisia now benefits from major international hotel schools. An Tunisian school - the Eight, Hospitality Business School in Tunis - has partnered with the prestigious Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne. A prominent Tunisian university has organized a bachelor's program in collaboration with the Le Roch foundation. The Vettel school has been in Tunisia for about fifteen years. However, public training in the tourism sector remains subpar. There aren't enough high-quality programs. La Badira regularly conducts internal training sessions with its department heads and external consultants, often from Europe."