Museum attack a blow for Tunisia’s tourism industry

The terrorists’ choice of venue was probably anything but accidental.Built under French colonial rule, the Bardo Museum is one of the most popular attractions for foreigners visiting Tunis. It is also supposed to be one of the capital’s most secure locations, since it shares an entrance with the parliament.In a purported audio message released yesterday, the militant Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.Should it indeed be established that the Al Qaeda splinter militia was to blame, it would explain the target.By spraying the museum with gunfire and taking its visitors hostage, the perpetrators would have achieved several objectives at once: Send a strong message to Tunisia’s politicians that they are not safe, and cause lasting economic damage to the cradle of the Arab Spring.Tourism is the main source of income for Tunisia. And the industry had only just started recovering from the fallout of the 2011 uprising.With the victims of Wednesday’s attack coming from various countries, including Japan, Britain, Poland, Spain, France, Italy and Belgium, officials are braced for the worst.“The Bardo attack will have a very bad effect on the Tunisian tourism industry,” Afif Keshk, the head of the non-governmental Tunisian Tourism Observatory, said. “I expect drop in bookings. Foreign tourists will make other choices than Tunisia.”Foreign governments have already started issuing travel warnings concerning Tunisia, while Italian cruise liners Costa Crociere and MSC Crociere have both cancelled all stops to Tunis in the wake of the attack.“The safety of our guests and crew is a priority for Costa Crociere and a necessary condition to offer serene and pleasant holidays,” the company said. Several of the victims had been passengers aboard the MSC Splendida.Tourism is a key foreign currency earner for Tunisia, employing around 10% of the country’s workforce.Until the 2011 uprising, it accounted for 6.5% of the country’s gross domestic product. Visitor numbers dropped from 7mn to 4.8mn after the Arab Spring, but was recently beginning to show encouraging signs.There were around 6.1mn visitors last year and the government had expected the numbers to grow to around 7mn this year.However, the “future of Tunisian tourism looks uncertain now,” Mohamed al-Toumi, the head of Tunisia’s Federation of Travel Agencies, says. “The government will need years and strenuous efforts to regain foreign tourists’ confidence.”It is hardly surprising then that Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid should argue that by targeting tourism, the assailants had sought to undermine the country’s economy.President Beji Caid Essebsi, who took office in December, has said the country will step up security and wage “war” against terrorism.But to Keshk of the Tunisian Tourism Observatory, such promises are unlikely to make an impression on foreign tourists.“Europeans are the main arrivals in Tunisia. They do not care about political statements. They care about realities.”Some do care, however.Instagram and social media are awash with selfies of people holding up signs promising to visit Tunisia.