Tunisia is preparing to live a unique experience: from October 24 to November 1, 2025, the country will host the first major meeting of hot air balloons and ultra-light aircrafta spectacular event which will connect the sea to the desert, from Djerba to the gates of the Sahara.
For Mohamed Mehdi Hellaoui, director general of the Tunisian National Tourism Office (ONTT), this event marks a new era in tourism promotion. “This meeting constitutes an innovative product, combining tourism and aeronautical culture, and offers a unique opportunity to enrich the image of our destination,” he declared during a press conference.
The concept is clear: escape from the shackles of seaside seasonality and offer visitors continuity between the softness of the beaches of Djerba and the magic of the Saharan dunes. The aerial caravan will cross several regions of the South, offering flight demonstrations, musical shows and nighttime shows of illuminated hot air balloons, promising unforgettable images under the starry sky.
A lever to extend the tourist season
The ONTT is banking on this initiative to extend the season beyond summer and strengthen the attractiveness of the Tunisian desert destination. With the recent reopening of two hotels in Tozeur, the South is returning to investment and hopes to attract new markets looking for authentic experiences.
The first indicators are encouraging: an expected influx of around 2,000 foreign participantsnot to mention the active participation of the inhabitants of the regions crossed, integrated into the festive program.
According to Ali Dridi, vice-president of the Tunisian Pilots Association and member of the organizing committee, it is the first time in Tunisia that such a meeting merges aviation, culture, history and tourism. “The idea was born from a gap between the end of the beach season and the start of the Saharan season. We wanted to create an air bridge that celebrates Tunisia in all its diversity,” he explains.
The highlight of the festival? A nighttime spectacle of luminous hot air balloons, in flamboyant colors, in the silence of the desert. Against the backdrop of concerts and local events, the oases and dunes will become the scene of an event that is both poetic and daring – an invitation to rediscover the Tunisian South in a different way.
