The Tunisian tourism sector is in full turns after the adoption of the new checks law. Travel agencies, which counted on delayed payment for their transactions, struggle to find viable alternatives.
The president of the Tunisian Federation of Travel and Tourism agencies, Ahmed Bettaïeb, was quick to alert the repercussions of this new legislation, saying that it has resulted in a 30% drop in turnover of travel agencies. A worrying situation for a sector that represents a significant part of the economy.
“The Law on Checks is not the problem in itself, but the absence of alternatives for deferred payment is the real obstacle,” he explains in a declaration granted today on FM mosaic. Indeed, travel agencies have historically relied on delayed payment, allowing customers to pay their purchases in several times, especially for plane tickets, stays or tourist circuits.
The existing alternatives, such as credit cards or bank drafts, do not meet the expectations of agencies. Banking cards, often limited to a period of one month, do not allow to offer prolonged payment facilities, while drafts require a bank account, which excludes many potential customers.
“The banking system does not offer us alternatives. The drafts require the customer to have a bank account while bank cards do not offer deadlines going beyond a month. These are not three or six months’ credit cards. We would like to have alternatives to give customers facilities, ”he said.
Professionals in the sector also point out that these alternative solutions include additional costs and interest, which goes against their objective: to offer payment solutions without additional cost for the customer. “We need a solution that allows the customer to pay their trip at no additional cost, with facilities adapted to the reality of the sector,” said agencies.
Despite these difficulties, sector officials continue to be optimistic for the future. According to data from the Central Bank of Tunisia, the last tourist season has generated nearly 7 billion dinars in revenue. The goal for this season is to maintain these figures and welcome around 10 million visitors.
Bettaïeb is convinced that this objective is achievable provided that you bet on the quality of services rather than quantity. “We are trying to attract tourists who generate better recipes, and not just a large number of visitors,” he said. To achieve this, travel agencies seek to strengthen their service offer while adjusting their prices to meet the expectations of international travelers.
The sector is now expecting new measures from authorities, including alternative payment mechanisms that allow customers to benefit from flexible financing solutions, without additional cost. The players in the sector thus argue for increased collaboration with banks and financing companies in order to offer solutions adapted to market needs.
