Tunisia moves to reopen 164 closed hotels and broaden tourism offering

Tunisia's tourism sector faces the challenge of reviving 164 hotels that have shut down in recent years due to financial distress and bank disputes, according to Mohamed Yahyaoui, head of the parliamentary Tourism Commission. Yahyaoui said investors are showing renewed interest in buying and renovating the dormant properties, which he sees as essential to boosting the country's accommodation capacity.

He also urged the Ministry of Tourism to diversify the market beyond beach holidays, highlighting medical and thermal tourism as strategic growth areas where Tunisia has competitive expertise. The minister is reportedly steering policy toward new tourism strands to reduce reliance on traditional sun‑and‑sea packages and improve overall competitiveness.