São Paulo – Tunisia welcomed five thousand Brazilian tourists last year, a 30% increase compared to 2019, a benchmark year for the sector, according to the Tunisian National Tourist Office. According to Leila Tekaia, the office’s director for Spain, Portugal, and Brazil, the country aims to triple the number of Brazilian visitors and reach 15,000 travelers per year within the next ten years. The country’s tourism authority is participating for the first time in WTM Latin America, a trade fair for industry professionals, which runs until Wednesday (16) in São Paulo.
Tekaia says the number of tour operators bringing Brazilian tourists to the Arab country has been growing. Of the total visitors, about 25% arrive via cruises that sail through the Mediterranean Sea and dock at Tunisian ports. Although brief, these visits are important for introducing Tunisia as a travel destination.
In search of more visitors, the executive says the country plans to organize fam trips—familiarization trips—with Brazilian travel agents and is seeking partnerships with airlines to promote the destination.
Trips to introduce Tunisia to travel agents
According to the director, the main challenges are securing agreements with airlines to promote Tunisia’s attractions through media campaigns targeting end customers and ensuring that travel agents know how to sell the country. “If the travel agent doesn’t know the product firsthand, it’s hard to convince [the tourist]. For us, it’s very important to start organizing fam trips—familiarization trips,” says Tekaia, referring to the tourism board’s strategies to be implemented right after WTM.
She says the tourism office decided to participate in the fair because of Brazil’s potential in the sector and the growing flow of investments and exchange of people and services between the two countries. Additionally, the Arab country has been making efforts to promote more business in Brazil and São Paulo, including the establishment of a commercial office in the city.
Tekaia adds that it is necessary to establish partnerships with airlines from other countries because the local company, TunisAir, is undergoing restructuring. In five years, the Tunisian airline could operate long-haul flights and contribute to the increase in travelers to the country, says Tekaia. Among the destinations that Tunisia intends to explore in Brazil are the Sahara Desert in the south of the country, cultural tourism, and the island of Djerba on the East Coast.
Leila Tekaia visited the headquarters of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) on Tuesday (15), accompanied by the head of the commercial and consular office of Tunisia in São Paulo, Hassen Saadani, and visual artist Dorra Messelmani.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
