Work on new airport for Tunis gets underway

TUNISIA. Work has begun on a new £258 million (US$464 million) airport near the Tunisian capital of Tunis, which will have an initial passenger capacity of 5 million, rising to 30 million upon completion in 2006.

The Daily Star of Beirut reports it will be Tunisia’s eighth international airport and the biggest in the country. The Tunisian envoy to Bahrain, Mohammed Iouiti, told the paper: “The new Al-Wassat Airport is aimed at easing pressure on Tunis International Airport, extending travel facilities to nearby tourist areas and providing better services to tourists, especially to European tourists visiting Tunisia.”

Last year Tunisia attracted 4.9 million tourists, mainly from Europe, but Iouiti said he expected the total number to rise by at least +5% in 2004.

The country’s tourism industry has been hard hit by the global economic downturn and the aftermath of the 11 September terrorist attacks, while an April 2002 bomb attack on the island of Djerba which killed 19 including 11 German tourists, also dampened demand.

In 2002 the number of visitors to the country dropped by -20% year-on-year from around 5 million in 2001 according to Tunisian tourist officials.

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