Tunis: The June 26, 2015 terrorist attack on ‘Imperial Marhaba’ hotel in El Kantaoui resort has caused a major recession in the tourism sector in Sousse in the second half of 2015 and the beginning of 2016 with the closure of 17 hotels, local tourism commissioner Foued Eloued told TAP on Saturday.
The decline in tourist numbers in the region reached 35.9 per cent during the period from January 1 to June 10, 2016, with a total of 238,858 visitors, against about 372,655 in the same period in 2015.
The number of overnight stays fell 56.6pc, with 727,459 overnight stays against 1 million and 674,383.
According to the same source, the number of tourist arrivals before the terrorist attack was similar to that of 2014, with a decline of only 7pc of tourists and 14pc of overnight stays.
This attack has had a very negative impact on the UK market considered one of the main markets of the Sousse destination, due to the fact that the largest number of victims were Britons, noted Foued Eloued, stating that the decline in the number of British tourists after this tragedy reached 79.9pc followed by the German market (- 72.2pc).
However, the Russian market posted a very significant increase of 235pc between January 1 and June 10, 2016 compared to the same period of 2015, with the arrival in the tourist resort areas of Sousse-El Kantaoui of 23,500 Russian tourists against 7,000 in the same period of 2015.
Meanwhile, the number of overnight stays spent by Russian tourists grew by 359.7pc, with 166,648 overnight stays, against 36,253.
Regarding prospects for the current tourist season, the local tourism commissioner said ten hotels have recently opened their doors out of 17 that have suspended their activities after the attack. Seven other hotels will resume service, by the end of Ramadan, he said.
Currently, the two tourist areas of Sousse and El Kantaoui are accommodating 9,700 foreign visitors, including 6,000 Russians.
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