Tunisia sees rising tourism revenue amid car rental fraud concerns

Tunisia's tourism sector has generated over $1.61 billion in revenue from the start of 2026 through August 10, marking a 4.82% year-on-year increase. Data from the Central Bank of Tunisia indicates that the country welcomed approximately 6 million tourists between January and July, with a national goal to exceed 12 million visitors by the end of the year.

In addition to tourism, remittances from Tunisians living abroad reached $1.90 billion during the same period. Combined, these two sources have provided approximately $3.51 billion in foreign exchange inflows. As of August 17, Tunisia's foreign exchange reserves stood at $8.48 billion, covering 97 days of imports.

Parallel to these economic gains, the car rental sector is facing challenges from fraudulent activities. The National Chamber of Car Rental Companies reported an increase in online scams where individuals use fake social media accounts and impersonate legitimate agencies to offer discounted rates. These scams often target tourists and Tunisians living abroad.

To combat this, the National Chamber is developing a dedicated digital platform for legal car rentals, which is expected to launch in October. Currently, the informal car rental market is estimated to operate approximately 62,000 vehicles, significantly outpacing the 34,000 vehicles managed by the formal sector.