Brussels, 10/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - In a backdrop to the meeting on 4 December in Paris with representatives from the Tour Operators (TO), the Tunisian minister for tourism, Elyes Fakhfakh, indicated that his country hoped to conclude an “open skies” agreement with the EU by September 2013. He asserted that a total and comprehensive opening up of the Tunisian sky is planned by 2016. Formal negotiations are expected to kick off at the beginning of next year.
The minister is expecting there to be a recovery in the tourist industry and hopes to reach a target of 10 million tourists by 2016. The satisfaction displayed by hotel sector operators, however, is not shared by the personnel in the state-controlled company. Agents and managers from “Tunisair” have already demonstrated their discontent with such an agreement as well as with the agreement between Qatar and the EU. (FB/transl.fl)