Thousands make online pledges to go to Tunisia
Thousands of people around the world are pledging to visit Tunisia this summer to support the destination, following the deadly attacks in Tunis.
The hashtags #JeSuisBardo and #JeSuisTunisien have begun trending on Twitter, inspired by the ‘Je Suis Charlie’ campaign which followed the Charlie Hebdo magazine attack in Paris.
The Tunisia campaign has also spread to Instagram, where people have begun posting pictures of themselves holding up placards with promises to go to Tunisia in a show of solidarity.
Campaigners recognise the importance of tourism to the country’s economy, with around one in 10 of the population employed in the sector.
They fear the attacks will dent the recovery Tunisia had started to make following a long period of uncertainty and violence during the upheaval of the Arab Spring.
David Scowsill, president and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council, urged tourists not to boycott Tunisia.
“It will take time for the scars to heal and for the relatives of those killed to grieve properly. It will take time for the image of Tunis as a safe, attractive destination for tourists to recover,” he said.
“Travel and tourism contributes over 15% of the GDP of Tunisia and almost 14% of all jobs; so it is a vitally important part of the economy of the country. Tunisia needs the sector to recover quickly, as usually happens after events of this type.
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“Our memories should never fade of those killed in events such as those in Tunis. But the greatest tribute we can give is for our sector to prove its resilience once again and for the tourists to return.”
Nine people have been arrested in connection with Wednesday’s massacre, which killed 20 tourists.
Cruise passengers on board MSC Splendida and Costa Fascinosa were among those who were targeted by the gunmen.
They came under fire as they got off their coaches for an excursion at the Bardo museum in Tunis.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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