By Brian Okoth
Tourism revenue in Tunisia has risen by 57.7 per cent in the first five months of 2023.
Data by the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT) shows that the nation raised 1.7 billion Tunisian Dinar ($549.8 million) from tourism compared to a similar period in 2022.
At the same time, income tax rose by 6 per cent to 3.1 billion Tunisian Dinar ($1 billion) between January and May 2023.
The central bank said the country’s external debt burden reduced by 10 per cent, from 3.6 billion Tunisian Dinar ($1.16 billion) between January and May last year to 3.2 Tunisian Dinar ($1.03 billion) in the same period in 2023.
Tunisia’s net foreign exchange reserves also fell by 3.1 billion Tunisian Dinar ($1.9 billion) over the same period, from 24.4 billion ($7.9 billion) in 2022.
More than one million tourists had visited Tunisia in the first five months of 2023.
In the whole of 2022, Tunisia recorded 6.3 million visitor arrivals, official records indicated.
France, Germany, Poland, Czech and Algeria were the countries that contributed the highest number of visitors to Tunisia.
Tourism is an important pillar of the Tunisian economy, representing 14 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). It also offers nearly 400,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The ancient city of Carthage, the amphitheater at El Djem, Bardo National Museum, the Sahara Desert and the Ancient City of Dugga are among Tunisia’s most famous tourist attraction sites.
