American business magazine Forbes has announced a list of seven countries that have the potential to become top travel destinations post-Covid-19 and Tunisia has made the cut.
Due to national and international travel bans issued by countries around the world to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, many countries have had to close their borders to avert large-scale contagion, crippling economies and especially the tourism industry.
Tunisia, like many nations, has announced plans to reopen its borders by the end of June.
Forbes wrote that Tunisia’s pristine beaches, ancient ruins and Maghrebi cuisine position the North African country to be a serious contender in the resurgence in the tourism industry on the continent once the pandemic has been contained.
The Tunisian Ministry of Tourism last week issued directives for a health protocol to be followed by hotels and tourist sites as the country prepares for the reopening of its second-largest sector, reported French-language online newspaper La Presse.
Tourism in Tunisia increased by 17.4% in 2019 compared with the same period in 2018, wrote London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awsat.
Tunisian authorities have announced plans to reinstate intercity travel from June 4 and expect to open up land, sea and air borders from June 27.
Tunisia has seen a relatively low coronavirus infection rate compared with other African countries, recording 1,086 cases of whom 965 have recovered.
Representing the African continent, Ethiopia was also named in the list of destinations with the potential to become top tourist destinations post-Covid-19, wrote Forbes magazine.
The five other countries that complete the list include Iran, Myanmar, Georgia, the Philippines and Slovenia.
-ANA; editing by Yaron Blecher
