A taskforce from the directorates concerned with investment, supervision of promoters, products, heritage and promotion will visit the governorates of Tozeur, Kebili and Tataouine, on Wednesday, to hold working sessions with local authorities. In these meetings, professionals and all stakeholders from the tourism sector will seek to implement the decisions announced during a ministerial working session held last July 6. The sessions will also shed light on the concerns and challenges Saharan and oasis tourism are facing as well as finding appropriate solutions to overcome them, reads a statement of the Tourism Ministry on Tuesday. The ministerial working session, which took place last July 6, addressed the main problems and challenges underwent by the tourism sector as well as ways to shift Saharan and oasis tourism to sustainable tourism. It also focused on diversifying the tourism product by identifying, protecting and promoting the cultural, human and natural heritage. The session laid emphasis the need to create new investment opportunities, open new markets for local, regional and handicrafts products, improve equipment, ensure proper exploitation of natural resources as well as maintain the ecological balance. Measures to be taken in the short and medium terms to promote Saharan and oasis tourism were also at the center of this ministerial working session. These measures include governance, review of the legal framework, product and transport development, environmental protection, investment and human resources as well as promotion and marketing. During the working session held, on Tuesday, in Tunis, Tourism and Handicrafts Minister Mohamed Moez Belhassine reiterated the need to implement the measures announced in the ministerial working session of July 6th. He pleaded for the promotion of the Sahara, as a «unique» tourist destination, while urging all stakeholders to increase efforts so as to market it as well as boost air traffic. Belhassine called for improving the quality of services in the various border posts in southern Tunisia, upgrading the tourism transport fleet and diversifying handicrafts products of the region.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse