Dozens of Tunisian tour agencies threatened: federation
Dozens of tour agencies in Tunisia will have to wind up soon if the government does not provide immediate aid, the head of the Tunisian Federation of Travel and Tour Agencies (FTAV) warned Monday.
Tourism dropped off sharply during the Tunisian revolution of December 2010 and January 2011, which saw the ouster of long-time dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, and has not picked up since despite a peaceful transition to elected leadership and a constituent assembly.
"Dozens of agencies could be forced to stop operating in coming days unless urgent solutions are rapidly found to their difficulties," Mohamed Ali Toumi told journalists.
Some 700 tour agencies that "constitute the most important link in the chain of tourism" are in "a catastrophic situation", threatening about 8,000 jobs in the immediate to longer term, Toumi said.
http://www.france24.com/en/20120130-dozens-tunisian-tour-agencies-threatened-federation