With an occupancy rate of 86% and nearly 2,000 tourists having spent the night of the administrative New Year in its hotels, camps and entertainment units, Douz confirms a winter tourist dynamic which goes beyond the one-off effect of the holidays. Behind these figures, an increasingly structured Saharan positioning is emerging in southern Tunisia.
86% occupancy and 1,980 tourists for New Year’s Eve
The figures were communicated by Yasser Souf, regional tourism commissioner in Kébili, during several interventions on national and regional radio stations devoted to the results of the night of the administrative New Year. According to this consolidated report, the Douz tourist area recorded an occupancy rate of 86%, with 1,980 tourists having spent the night in the different tourist units, including hotels, camps and entertainment structures spread across the Saharan area.
This attendance takes place within a regulated organizational context. Control teams from the regional tourism delegation carried out several field visits during the period in order to verify the quality of the services offered, which were considered generally satisfactory.
A predominantly European clientele and sustained activity in 2025
The majority of tourists welcomed in Douz during this period were of Italian and French nationality, alongside Tunisian tourists. This profile confirms the attractiveness of the Saharan product on European markets, particularly during the winter period.
Over the whole of 2025, the Kébili region recorded nearly 176,000 tourist arrivals until December 10, compared to just over 171,000 over the same period of 2024, an increase of around 1%. The number of overnight stays followed the same trend, increasing from around 189,000 to nearly 193,000. Furthermore, more than 2,500 excursions to the desert area were recorded during the year, confirming the central role of the desert in local tourist activity.
Compared to certain previous years marked by greater influxes during the holidays, the current attendance reflects less a contraction than an evolution of the model, based on regularity, specialization of the offer and promotion of the Saharan experience.
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