Jun 21, 2005, 16:15 CET

Malta and Tunisia reached an agreement aimed at enhancing the cooperation in the tourism sector between the two countries. The agreement was reached during the third session of the Malta-Tunisian Joint Commission on Tourism was held at the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

The respective delegations were headed by the Tunisian Minister of Tourism, Tijani Haddad and the Malta Minister for Tourism and Culture, Francis Zammit Dimech.

The two delegations agreed on four main tourism factors, which are marketing and promotion ; development of tourist flow ; training and the exchange of experts ; and promotion of investments in either country’s tourism sector.

The agreement includes the organization of touristic manifestations in the two countries ; encouraging three-point holidays in Malta, Sicily and Tunisia, in particular for long haul tourists ; encouraging bilateral co-operation between the travel agencies of the two countries ; the exchanging of press and television journalists to report on specific activities taking place in either country ; and the promotion of cultural tourism and tourism-based sport activities between the two countries.

The two countries’ delegation also agreed to encourage co-operation between the tourism private sector institutions in their countries and to develop tours programs in order to increase the tourist flow between their countries ; to encourage tour operators in both countries to enhance their co-operation and to join their efforts in order to offer combined holiday packages to attract tourists from the remote and niche markets and to preview trip circuits ; and to promote together the international platforms especially long-haul destinations as combined destinations.

The third factor - training and the exchange of experts includes amongst others the organization of short apprenticeship courses and training programs for technicians in hotel management and tourism in the hotel and tourism establishments in the two countries ; encouraging closer collaboration between the tourism training institutes of the two countries ; and encouraging Tunisian nationals, particularly students, to pursue courses in the English Language in licensed Maltese schools.

Malta and Tunisia also agreed to study the possibility of reciprocal technical assistance in product development improvement to the tourism infrastructure ; and to encourage the development of investments in tourism in both countries by informing each other on a mutual basis about existing investment opportunities as well as the investment incentives applied in their countries in the field of tourism.

Following the agreement reached, Minister Francis Zammit Dimech stated, “cooperation between Malta and Tunisia is based on good neighbourly relations.” He added that in the field of tourism both countries were working to attract more tourists especially in pre-defined tourism segments.

Francis Zammit Dimech augured that the cooperation in the tourism sector between Malta and Tunisia will be extended to other Mediterranean countries.

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