Tunisia holidays to go back on sale
Tour operators are considering re-launching programmes to Tunisia after the Foreign Office yesterday stopped advising against all but essential travel to most of the country following an increase in security in major cities and resorts.
Welcoming the change in advice, the Tunisian tourist office said it was hoping for last minute summer bookings and winter business from the UK.
Mounira Ben Cherifa, director of the Tunisian National Tourist Office in the UK, said: "We will be communicating with all of our tour operators to see how quickly we can get airlift reinstated, meanwhile Tunis Air are flying daily from London Heathrow and Gatwick into Tunis".
However, mainstream tour operators including Thomson, Thomas Cook and Monarch have not yet stated if and when they will return to Tunisia.
They all said they were considering re-launching programmes, but did not say how soon.
A spokesman for Thomas Cook said: "We’re pleased that the Foreign Office has taken this decision to open Tunisia back up to Brits. It’s great for Tunisia, which used to welcome many thousands of British holidaymakers.
"We’ll take a bit of time to look at how and when we put this once-popular destination back on sale and we will update our customers when have any further news."
Thomson, whose clients were killed in a terror attack in Sousse in June 2015, prior to the Foreign Office imposing a travel ban, said it would take into account customer demand before re-introducing Tunisia for future seasons.
Monarch said it was assessing whether to return to the destination following the new advice from the Foreign Office, which is now only warning against travel to parts of the south and interior and certain areas close to Algeria and Libya.
Specialist operators such as Just Sunshine are likely to be the first to start re-selling Tunisia. The company said it was hoping to reintroduce flights ‘as quickly as possible’.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026