Month: August 2018

UK leisure travel rises in destinations previously hit with terror threats

BGMN

Tourists from the UK this summer have returned to popular travel destinations previously considered at risk for unrest or terrorism, according to data from ForwardKeys and GfK, which showed a 4.9 percent jump in UK leisure travel. “These findings illustrate the ultimate resilience of travel and tourism. Tourists are prepared to reassess their impressions of a destination if it manages to remain safe for an extended period of time. It’s encouraging that the countries previously affected by unrest are seeing their tourist-marketing efforts pay off in hard figures,” Olivier Jager, CEO and co-founder…

Archaeological Tours Introduces NEW 2019 Packages

BGMN

For more than forty years, Archaeological Tours has been setting the standard of what constitutes a great archaeological and historical study tour. With the announcement of the company’s 2019 programs, three new destinations never before featured by Archaeological Tours – Western China, Tunisia & Morocco, and the Baltics – will join the ranks of itineraries carefully curated and led by their expert scholars, distinguished field researchers who have the gift for bringing a destination to life, according toLuxury Travel Magazine. The 15 day Tunisia & Morocco: From the Phoenicians to the Berbers itinerary (pricing from $4,950…

Libya’s anti-smuggling efforts of subsidised goods into Tunisia causing diplomatic tensions

BGMN

Libya’s continued anti-smuggling efforts of its subsidised goods into its neighbouring state Tunisia is causing some diplomatic tensions. Milad Al-Hijrisi, the Chairman of the Fuel and Gas Crisis Committee of the Brega Marketing Company, a wholly-owned National Oil Corporation subsidiary, confirmed that the ‘‘Libyans were entitled to protect and secure their wealth and assets from smuggling operations’’ and entitled ‘‘to combat the smuggling of fuel from Libyan territory and to deal with this phenomenon, which threatens the country’s economy’’. Speaking  to the Tripoli-based official state news agency, LANA, Hijrisi said…

More than 4 million tourists by July 31 (Tourism Minister)

BGMN

“Some 4 million 400 thousand tourists visited Tunisia between January 1 and July 31, 2018, up 23% over the same period of 2017,” Selma Elloumi Rekik, Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts said on Thursday. Speaking at a conference in Tunis, the minister said that tourism receipts reached 1,750 million dinars during the same period, posting a 42% increase compared to 2017. She also added that the current year would record more than 8 million tourists against more than 7 million in 2017 and less than 6 million in 2016. TunisianMonitorOnline…

Did Morocco let more migrants make dangerous Spain crossing?

BGMN

 Morocco may have relaxed migration controls into Europe as leverage in key negotiations with Brussels, it’s been claimed. The country, 14 kilometres from Andalucía, is in fresh focus after its northern neighbour Spain emerged as the busiest route into the EU for migrants. Experts say while they cannot be certain, there are suspicions border checks were eased ahead of negotiations on a fisheries agreement and how much Brussels should give Rabat for helping protect the EU’s external border. It’s controversial because the sea crossing to Spain can be deadly —…

Tourists are returning to Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt

BGMN

Tourists from the UK are returning to previously popular destinations that have suffered in recent years due to terrorist incidents or civil unrest, such as Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt, according to the latest findings from ForwardKeys and GfK which predicts future travel patterns by analysing booking transactions by travel agents. The big winners are Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt, although the two Arab countries have yet to recover their full potential. Turkey with the biggest market share of the three, is showing a 66.4% growth in UK leisure bookings on last…

Tunisia extends deadline for solar tender by two months

BGMN

Tunisia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy has extended the deadline for project proposals for a 70MW solar tender by two months, from 15 August to 18 October 2018. The tender was initially announced at the end of May and concerns six projects of 10MW capacity and another 10 of 1MW, reports PV Magazine. It is the second round of calls for PV projects of this kind, termed a Regime Authorizations tender. Competing bidders are expected to offer the most attractively priced 20-year Power Purchase Agreement as the north African does not…

Tunisia: Roman amphitheater ‘Cillium’ reopens in Kasserine

BGMN

The Roman amphitheater ‘Cilium’ in Kasserine officially reopened with a concert of Lebanese committed Marcel Khalifa, after restoration. Culture Minister Mohamed Zine El Abidine said that “the inauguration of this new amphitheater is an historic moment for the city of Kasserine, which has become over the last few years synonymous of obscurantism and terrorism”. The project Cilium, which cost a total of 400,000 dinars, was made with the support of the regional council of the governorate of Kasserine, in cooperation with the culture ministry, the national heritage institute (Inp) and…

Migration: Italy Mulls Investing at Least €1 Bln in North Africa

BGMN

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has unveiled lately an ambitious plan worth at least 1 billion Euros destined to support the economies of North African countries, help create job opportunities in this region and curb migration flows. In a statement to Sky TG24, Mr. Salvini said these investments would focus on agriculture, fishing and trade. “It is not enough to close [ports] and send [migrants] back home,” underlined the Italian interior minister, explaining is that the move is part of a wider plan to tackle a number of security issues…

Inflation rate down in July in Tunisia

BGMN

The inflation rate fell to 7.5 percent in July from 7.8 percent a month earlier, according to Tunisia National Institute of Statistics (INS) on Monday. The inflation rate rose from 6.9 % in January to 7.1 % in February, then reached 7.6 % in March, and 7.7 % in April and May. This drop is mainly due to the deceleration in the pace of price increases between June and July 2018 (+0.5%) and the same period in 2017 (0.9%) where tobacco prices recorded a sharp 13.1% rise before stabilising in…