TUNIS, (TAP) - The establishment of a new strategy to increase tourist flows, develop health and shopping tourism for the African market and the opening of new direct air services with the African continent while ensuring their sustainability are the key recommendations of the meeting held, Saturday in Tunis, by the Ministry of Transport.
Participants also emphasised the need to develop infrastructure, improve quality of reception at the Tunis Carthage airport and promote bilateral and multilateral investment with African countries.
The meeting discussed the issue of abolition of visas for some African countries and the establishment of a think tank in charge of monitoring these recommendations.
Touhami Abdouli Secretary of State in charge of Arab and African Affairs said the objective of this preparatory meeting is to identify the guidelines of a strategy aimed to develop the Tunisian-African relations and lay the bases of a win-win co-operation and partnership.
In a statement to TAP, he noted that the meeting's recommendations will be included as part of a Tunisian-African action plan which will be launched by early September.
For his part, Minister of Tourism Selma Elloumi Rekik said Tunisia has showed interested in Africa for ten years which is a promising market.
About Great Britain's call on its nationals to leave Tunisia, the Minister expressed "surprise" at this reaction, saying contacts are ongoing with the British side for the cancellation of this decision.
Participants emphasised the need to expand diplomatic representation in Africa (8 embassies out of 54 countries against 21 for Morocco), shorten the date of granting visas (3 weeks) and increase the reduced number of flights (5 flights to Africa against 32 flights by Morocco.
The meeting was held with attendance of the Minister of Transport, the CEO of Tunisair, representatives of the Ministries of Health, Higher Education, the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA) and professional tourism structures.
© Tunis-Afrique Presse 2015
