The North African country welcomed roughly 450,000 visitors from the UK in 2025, its most successful year since 2014. It is now determined to “set another record” having already exceeded last year’s numbers by 11%.

“There are many reasons for the increase, but two main ones are the well-connectivity between Tunisia and the UK and the value – it’s great value for money,” Director General of the Tunisian National Tourism, Mr Mohamed Mehdi Haloui, told TTG at WTM London.

Currently, UK visitors spend on average between five and six days in Tunisia. Mehdi Haloui believes it’s crucial to increase this duration by highlighting its diversity, insisting the country is best experienced as a twin-centre destination. “We want to promote Tunisia beyond the beach – you can discover and experience so much more than that."

By way of example, Mehdi Haloui said visitors could pair Djerb, a Mediterranean island known for its white sandy beaches and historic villages, with Tozeur, a desert city and home to North Africa’s largest salt lake.

Mehdi Haloui also pointed to Tunisia’s wellness experiences, noting it is the second most popular destination for thalassotherapy – the use of seawater as a form of therapy – after France.

Cruise, airlift and new developments

The conflict in the Middle East has also created opportunity for Tunisia's cruise sector, which brought more than 500,000 visitors to the country last year.

“Many cruise companies want to change routes and want to come to Tunisia,” he said. “We are working to get another harbour, like Sousse, to meet this demand.”

Mehdi Haloui also shared updates about Tunisia’s airlift, starting with Jet2’s inaugural service to the country from May 2027.

Jet2 will initially be flying from Birmingham, East Midlands, Leeds Bradford, Stansted, and Manchester, before adding Bristol to its programme in 2028. Tui will also be launching a new route from Gatwick to Djerba next year.

Mehdi Haloui hopes the increase in connectivity will dispel the notion that Tunisia is a far flung destination: “Many people think Tunisia is a four or five hour flight from the UK, but it’s under three hours.”

Tunisia is also looking forward to the opening of Tunis Bay, a flagship urban development in the north of the capital. Scheduled for completion by 2030, the estate will feature a business centre, a five-star hotel and a golf course.