While Tunisia strives to revitalize its tourism sector, an incident involving a British tourist may again tarnish its image.
James Colly, a 57 -year -old Briton, found herself at the heart of an identity confusion case during her vacation in Tunisia. Arrived at the Enfidha-Hammamet International Airport to celebrate his retirement with his wife, he was arrested by the police, confused with a certain James Coyle, sentenced to smuggling cigarettes in 2012. This case did not go unnoticed and was pinned by English media, starting with The Mirror, which largely relayed it.
“What was to be a relaxing stay in a five -star hotel in Mahdia turned into a legal nightmare,” the British media reported. “The couple had to spend an additional 800 pounds on travel, lawyer and even bribes to resolve this situation,” added the source.
The Mirror reports that “the case was quickly classified by a Tunisian judge”, but wonders about “the reliability of the judicial system and the security of tourists in Tunisia”. Louise Collene, James’ wife, even advised British tourists to go to Tunisia, invoking security concerns and evoking local corruption.
And yet, Tunisia has redoubled efforts to seduce British tourists. In December 2023, 21-day all-inclusive stay offers, including round-trip tickets, were offered only £ 477 per person (around 1800 DT). On March 23, 2024, The Telegraph published an article entitled “Why Tunisia’s Capital Remains An Undiscovered Jewel”, highlighting the assets of Tunis as a cultural destination.
The James Collene incident is bad advertising that occurs at a critical moment for Tunisian tourism. After difficult years marked by political instability, terrorist attacks and the Pandemic of Covid-19, the country was trying to win back the confidence of travelers, especially British.
The challenge for Tunisia will be to transform this negative experience into an opportunity to improve its services and strengthen the confidence of foreign visitors.
