A national workshop themed “Sustainable Tunisia | Human First” was held on June 2, 2026, in Tunis chaired by Sofiane Tekaya, Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts. The event signaled a major step forward in the country’s efforts to align its tourism sector with international standards for sustainability, quality, and certification.
The initiative, spearheaded by Donia Hamouda, a GSTC-certified sustainable tourism expert, is driven by the National Tunisian Tourism Office (ONTT) under the aegis of the Ministry of Tourism.
The gathering brought together Randy Durband, CEO of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), the world’s leading authority on sustainable tourism standards. Also present were Mohamed Mehdi Haloui, Director General of the ONTT; Leila Msellati, CEO of ONA; Ahmed Jamal, CEO of AMFT; along with representatives from professional federations including FTH, FTAV, and FI2T, as well as donors and key stakeholders across the tourism value chain.
According to the Ministry’s vision for sustainability, the future of Tunisian tourism can no longer rely solely on growth in visitor numbers or financial performance. Instead, it must be built on long-term viability, accountability, resilience, regional development, heritage and coastal protection, preservation of natural resources, and the integration of local communities into every link of the value chain.
This strategic vision places sustainability at the core of Tunisia’s future competitiveness as a destination. It aims to drive quality upgrading across the sector, diversify tourism offerings, empower local communities and regions, boost youth employability, and better prepare Tunisian operators to meet evolving global expectations.
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