By Saad Guerraoui Middle East online 14 June, 2004

Tourism experts in Tunisia expect the influx of more than 100,000 Russian holidaymakers to the north African country this year as Tunis targets Russia, one of new markets of Central Europe for reviving its tourism.

According to the National office of Tunisian tourism (ONTT) which prepares an offensive in Russia, the number of tourists coming from this country is traditionally very reduced, but it more than doubled (+101%) in January 2004 after a first effort of a promotional campaign.

With the return of a recent mission in Moscow, the Tunisian Minister of Tourism, Abderrahim Zouari, affirmed that his country could count in the long term on 500.000 visitors per annum in the long term, whereas the tour operators give the figure of 120.000 Russian tourists for 2004.

Last year, 74.000 Russians came to Tunisia against 47.000 only in 2002, which is an increase of more than 55%. The tendency should be reinforced this year and include other new markets of Central Europe.

An ONTT assessment in the first quarter 2004, emphasizes a passion of the Czechs (+150%), Bulgarians(+15%) and Polish (+20%) for Tunisia, which offers a wide range of products with very reduced prices for certain formulas.

Western Europeans, headed by the French and Germans, generally constitute the essence of holidaymakers in Tunisia. However the flow of German tourists fell during the last three years.

Tunisia's interest in the Russian market aims at consolidating the resumption of tourism in 2004 - a target of nearly one million visitors, which is 19% higher compared to the same period of last year, according to official statistics.

Thousand of Russian agents of voyage are awaited in Tunisia and a series of exhibitions s are programmed in various areas of Russia, a promising market but handicapped by the lack of air link.

With five million tourists in 2003, Tunisia had been able to survive the crisis which struck the airline industry in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States and Al-Qaeda attack on a synagogue in Djerba in April 2002.

Several hotels in Djerba are already fully booked this month as the tourist season looks very promising for the tiny north African country.